Dozens killed as Boko Haram continues reign of terror

At least 44 people have been killed in twin bomb blasts in the central Nigerian city of Jos, the country’s main relief agency says, after a bloody week of violence blamed on Boko Haram.

Unidentified attackers opened fire outside with guns before launching a rocket-propelled grenade at the mosque, witnesses said.

The explosion at the Yantaya Mosque on Sunday came as cleric Sani Yahaya was addressing a crowd during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to survivors.

They said they did not know how many worshipers were killed.

Another bomb exploded at a popular restaurant, reportedly killing 15 people.

Earlier Sunday, witnesses said that a woman suicide bomber blew up in the midst of a crowded Evangelical Christian Church service in northeast Nigeria.

He however, urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the Nigerian state and in the ability of its security operatives to eradicate Boko Haram.

Although Boko Haram had not yet claimed responsibility for the Jos attacks, the carnage had all the hallmarks of Boko Haram.

Another 67 people were wounded, according to Abdussalam Mohammed, the National Emergency Management Agency coordinator.

Sabi’u Bako was picking up a takeout meal when he heard a massive explosion as he walked away with friends. Several people who attended burials there, including a senior government official, said 147 bodies, including 22 children, had been interred. The army said on Sunday that its troops must have killed more than 600 insurgents in the northeast in the past one month.

The United Kingdom and U.S. have condemned the recent flare-up of killings by Boko Haram, which earlier this year sustained heavy losses as a result of a cross-border military campaign involving Nigeria and its neighbors Chad and Niger.

“Even with all the efforts, people ask what impact there is on the ground if Boko Haram is still able to attack communities and villages in the way they have over the last few days”, Ndege said. He has survived a previous assassination attempt at his home.