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THE DEATH TOLL from a series of gun and bomb attacks in one of Nigeria’s major cities has risen to at least 180, according to the latest reports.
Medics in Kano, northern Nigeria said they had counted 180 bodies at one hospital alone, according to South Africa’s IOL News. Many of the bodies are said to be charred beyond recognition.
The attacks were carried out on Friday by members of Boko Haram, an extreme Islamist organisation which mounted a series of co-ordinated gun and bomb assaults on at least four locations in the city. Reuters reports that the targets were mainly police stations.
A Boko Haram spokesman using the nom de guerre Abul-Qaqa claimed responsibility for the attacks in a message to journalists Friday. He said the attack came because the state government refused to release Boko Haram members held by the police.
Nigeria is religiously divided between Christianity and Islam, with the Muslim population mainly concentrated in the north.
Boko Haram recently said it specifically would target Christians living in Nigeria’s north, but Friday’s attack saw its gunmen kill many Muslims. In a recent video posted to the Internet, Imam Abubakar Shekau, a Boko Harm leader, warned it would kill anyone who “betrays the religion” by being part of or sympathising with Nigeria’s government.
“I swear by Allah we will kill them and their killing will be nothing to us,” Shekau said. “It will be like going to prayers at 5am.”
Nigeria’s Christian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has said the killers will be made to face “the full wrath of the law”.
- Additional reporting from AP
“I swear by Allah we will kill them and their killing will be nothing to us,” Shekau said. “It will be like going to prayers at 5am.”
How can anyone kill in the name of God ??
It never ceases to amaze me.
He who kills in the name of God isn’t a true believer.
And they killed indiscriminately regardless – acts of cowards.
The religion of Peace.
The Jews, the Muslims and the Christians, They’ve all got it wrong. The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.
Abu-al-Ala al-Marri, 10th century Syrian poet
My sort of poet
And the atheist Chinese,Russians. North Koreans killed no one and are a bastion of liberals .
Imaginary friends are the way to go!
Amazing how people take an event, add their own meaning & declare this is proof they are right. Boko Haram or Internet commentators … When people are dying, its not about being right and point scoring anymore.
May the citizens of Kano who have died RIP. Prayers & thoughts to the wounded & their families.
I think prayers and religion have brought enough horror to the people Kano don’t you?
Beautifully making my point Joe. Kano is a stunning, complicated, ancient, sprawling city; an elegant passionate people, and an ongoing complicated political struggle. You been? Or even care?
The political complication is religion.
Nothing that a few million in foreign aid can’t fix. We have been “fixing” that continent with aid for over 50 years and what a great result.
You’ll find most of it’s problems also stem from us. It’s the oil and natural resources that we buy in it’s raw state has made that continent bankrupt and corrupt
Religion has brought us peace but the pain of child abuse,killing all in the name of religion…is it worth having one…..
Explain how Religion has brought us peace.
Couldn’t agree more, Noirin.
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