Nigeria: Public Officials Killed In Bomb Attack In North

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has condemned the Tuesday bomb explosion in Zaria, described it as sad and painful.

Three gunmen then opened fire on a crowd of civil servants there, el-Rufai said on his Twitter feed.

Eyewitness Mohammed Abubakar, who had been waiting outside at the time of the attack, said: “We were taking turns going into the hall in batches for the screening and also to get our pay cheques”.

The attack in a crowded evangelical Christian church in northeast Nigeria was the latest in a series of attacks linked to the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, which earlier swore allegiance to the jihadist organisation Islamic State in the Middle East.

Meanwhile on Monday night a teenager blew herself up near a mosque in an apparent suicide attack attempt in Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, police said.

The statement by Mr. Aruwan said, “The city of Zaria today suffered a awful act of infamy”. The casualty count as at 12 noon is 25 fatalities, including a two-year old child.

Five bodies from the blast were counted by reporters in the local hospital, where one injured woman was also being treated.

Abbas said local government workers and primary school teachers were undergoing screening to identify potential ghost workers on the state payroll.

“The Kaduna State Government has expressed its sadness at this mindless attack on our citizens. May the souls of our innocent departed rest in peace, Amen”, he tweeted.

El-Rufai said extra security forces would be deployed throughout the state. He however, noted that where that is impossible, they should exercise and practice maximum vigilance and vigorous checks on persons, vehicles and luggage.

Last week, more than 200 people died in a string of attacks in Africa’s top oil producer, piling pressure on new President Muhammadu Buhari who is trying to work with neighboring states to quell the insurgency.

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