27-Dec-2011 - Nigeria rocked by church blasts

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25 December 2011 Last updated at 19:05 GMT Nigeria churches hit by blasts during Christmas prayers A series of bomb attacks in Nigeria, including two on Christmas Day church services, have left almost 40 people dead and many injured. The nike nfl jerseys Islamist group Boko Haram said it carried out the attacks, including one on St Theresa's Church in Madalla, near the capital Abuja, that killed 35. A second explosion shortly after hit a church in the central city of Jos. A policeman died during gunfire. Three attacks in northern Yobe state left four people dead. Two hit the town of Damaturu, and a third struck Gadaka. Yobe state has been the epicentre of violence between security forces and Boko Haram militants. President Goodluck Jonathan, who is a Christian, said the attacks were an "unwarranted affront on our collective safety and freedom". 'Everyone was crying' Boko Haram - whose name means "Western education is forbidden" - often targets security forces and state institutions. The group carried out an August 2011 suicide attack on the UN headquarters in Abuja, in which more than 20 people were killed. Nearly 70 people have died this week in fighting between Nigerian forces and Boko Haram gunmen in the country's north-east. National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) spokesman Yushau Shuaibu told the BBC that the latest Abuja explosion had happened in the street outside the church. He said the church - which can hold up to 1,000 people - had been badly affected by the blast. Witnesses said windows of nearby houses had been shattered by the explosion. Officials at the local hospital said the condition of many of the injured was serious, and they were seeking help from bigger medical facilities. Businessman Munir Nasidi was in a hotel opposite the church when the blast occurred. He told the BBC: "When I came out of the hotel, people were running around. Everyone was crying. They were bringing out casualties. Nobody was getting near the building as there was a fire." Police had trouble controlling the anger of local people. Reuters reports that thousands of youths have erected roadblocks on the road from the capital to the largely Muslim north, and are being tackled by security forces firing tear gas. One of the Damaturu explosions was a suicide car bomb attack on a convoy of the State Security Service. BBC correspondents say four people were killed there, including the suicide bomber. In Jos, a blast close to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church was followed by gunfire that left one officer dead, government spokesman Pam Ayuba told Associated Press. Two explosive devices found in a nearby building were disarmed as military were deployed to the site. BBC Africa editor Martin Plaut says the attack in Jos, in Plateau state, could have even more serious consequences than the attack in Abuja. The state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, between the mainly Muslim north and Christian south. More than 1,000 have been killed in religious and ethnic violence in Jos over the past two years and our correspondent says there will be fears that the latest attack could spark wider conflict. A string of bomb blasts in Jos on Christmas Eve 2010 were claimed by Boko Haram. President Jonathan said after the latest attacks: "I want to reassure all Nigerians that the government will not relent in its determination to bring to justice all the perpetrators." Vatican spokesman Father Federico NFL jerseys Lombardi condemned the latest attacks as blind, absurd "terrorist violence" that enflames hate. "We are close to the suffering of the Nigerian Church and the entire Nigerian people so tried by terrorist violence, even in these days that should be of joy and peace," Lombardi was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned the bombings. He said: "These are cowardly attacks on families gathered in peace and prayer to celebrate a day which symbolises harmony and goodwill towards others. I offer my condolences to the bereaved and injured." Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions (Required) Name (Required) Your E-mail address (Required) Town & Country (Required) Your telephone number (Required) Comments If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. Terms and conditions Send Clear

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26-Dec-2011 - Nigeria rocked by church blasts

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25 December 2011 Last updated at 14:10 GMT Nigeria churches jerseys cheap hit by blasts during Christmas prayers Bomb blasts targeting Christmas Day church services in two Nigerian cities have left at least 28 people dead, with three more attacks on other towns. The Islamist group Boko Haram said it had attacked Theresa's Church in Madalla, near the capital Abuja, killing 27 people. A second explosion shortly after hit a church in the central city of Jos. A policeman died during gunfire. Three attacks in northern Yobe state targeted a church and security forces. Two hit the town of Damaturu, and a third struck Gadaka. Yobe state has been the epicentre of violence between security forces and Boko Haram militants. 'Everyone was crying' Local observers say it is beginning to look like a co-ordinated offensive by Islamic militants. Boko Haram - whose name means "Western education is forbidden" - often targets security forces and state institutions. The group carried out an August 2011 suicide attack on the UN headquarters in Abuja, in which more than 20 people were killed. Nearly 70 people have died this week in fighting between Nigerian forces and Boko Haram gunmen in the country's north-east. National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) spokesman Yushau Shuaibu told the BBC that the latest Abuja explosion had happened in the street outside the church. He said the church - which can hold up to 1,000 people - had been badly affected NFL jerseys china by the blast, and the number of dead was likely to rise. Witnesses said windows of nearby houses had been shattered by the explosion. Unconfirmed reports say that emergency responders have been attacked by groups of stone-throwing youths. Officials at the local hospital said the condition of many of the injured was serious, and they were seeking help from bigger medical facilities. Businessman Munir Nasidi was in a hotel opposite the church when the blast occurred. He told the BBC: "When I came out of the hotel, people were running around. Everyone was crying. They were bringing out casualties. Nobody was getting near the building as there was a fire." In Jos, a blast close to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church was followed by gunfire that left one officer dead, government spokesman Pam Ayuba told Associated Press. Two explosive devices found in a nearby building were disarmed as military were deployed to the site. BBC Africa editor Martin Plaut says the attack in Jos, in Plateau state, could have even more serious consequences than the attack in Abuja. The state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, between the mainly Muslim north and Christian south. More than 1,000 have been killed in religious and ethnic violence in Jos over the past two years and our correspondent says there will be fears that the latest attack could spark wider conflict. A string of bomb blasts in Jos on Christmas Eve 2010 were claimed NFL jerseys wholesale by Boko Haram. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi condemned the latest attacks as blind, absurd "terrorist violence" that enflames hate. "We are close to the suffering of the Nigerian Church and the entire Nigerian people so tried by terrorist violence, even in these days that should be of joy and peace," Lombardi was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. (Required) Name (Required) Your E-mail address (Required) Town & Country (Required) Your telephone number (Required) Comments If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. Terms and conditions Send Clear

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26-Dec-2011 - Nigeria rocked by church blasts

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25 December 2011 Last updated at 12:16 GMT Nigeria churches hit by blasts during Christmas prayers Bomb blasts targeting Christmas Day church services in two Nigerian cities have killed at least 11 people. Some 10 people died and more were hurt in an attack at St Theresa's Church in Madalla near Nigeria's capital Abuja. The Islamist group Boko Haram said it carried out the attack, which Authentic nfl jerseys came amid deadly violence between Islamist gunmen and soldiers in northern Nigeria. A second explosion shortly afterwards hit a church in the central city of Jos, killing at least one person. Nearly 70 people have died in days of fighting between Nigerian forces and suspected Islamist gunmen in the country's north-east, but the BBC's Fidelis Mbah in Lagos says no trouble had been expected in the capital. Boko Haram - whose name means "Western education is forbidden" - often targets security forces and state institutions. The group carried out an August 2011 suicide attack on the UN headquarters in Abuja, in which more than 20 people were killed. An unconfirmed report quoting local police said two explosions had hit the northern town of Damaturu, epicentre of the violence between security forces and Boko Haram militants earlier in the week. Emergency workers 'attacked' National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) spokesman Yushau Shuaibu told the BBC that the latest Abuja explosion had happened in the street outside the church. He said the church - which can hold up to custom nfl jerseys 1,000 people - had been badly affected by the blast, and the number of dead was likely to rise. Witnesses said windows of nearby houses had been shattered by the explosion. Unconfirmed reports says that emergency responders have been attacked by groups of stone-throwing youths. Officials at the local hospital said the condition of many of the injured was serious, and they were seeking help from bigger medical facilities. Businessman Munir Nasidi was in a hotel opposite the church when the blast occurred. He told the BBC: "When I came out of the hotel, people were running around. Everyone was crying. They were bringing out casualties. Nobody was getting near the building as there was a fire." BBC Africa editor Martin Plaut says that the attack in Jos, in Plateau state - which killed at least one policeman and destroyed three vehicles - could have even more serious consequences than the attack in Abuja. The state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, between the mainly Muslim north and Christian south. More than 1,000 have been killed in religious and ethnic violence in Jos over the past two years and our correspondent says there will be fears that the latest attack could spark wider conflict. A string of bomb blasts in Jos on Christmas Eve 2010 were claimed by Boko Haram. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi condemned the latest attacks as blind, absurd "terrorist violence" that enflames hate. "We are close to the suffering of the Nigerian Church and the entire Nigerian people so tried by terrorist violence, even in these days that should be of joy and peace," Lombardi was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. (Required) Name (Required) Your E-mail address (Required) Town NFL shop jerseys & Country (Required) Your telephone number (Required) Comments If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. Terms and conditions Send Clear

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