60 die in Nigeria Easter tragedies

A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives on a busy road yesterday morning after apparently turning away from attacking Nigerian churches holding Easter services, killing at least 38 people in a massive blast that rattled Kaduna.

In a separate incident, 22 people were killed and 31 injured in central Nigeria’s Benue state when their church caved in on them during an Easter vigil.

The blast that struck the city of Kaduna left charred motorcycles and debris strewn across a major road.

Nearby hotels and homes had their windows blown out and roofs torn away by the force of the explosion.

The explosion badly damaged the nearby All Nations Christian Assembly Church and the ECWA Good News Church as churchgoers worshipped at an Easter service.

Witnesses said it appeared the explosive-laden car attempted to go into the compound of the churches before it detonated, but was blocked by barriers in the street and turned away by a security guard.

On the church collapse in Benue, government spokes-man Cletus Akwaya said: “Following a heavy downpour and storm Saturday night, the building of St Robert’s Catholic Church in Adamgbe collapsed, killing 22 worshippers while 31 others sustained various degrees of injury.”

Fourteen of those killed were women while six others were children, including a two-year-old.

“It was an outdoor Easter vigil service but within the church premises. When the rain poured down, followed by a storm, the about 3,000 worshippers ran and crammed into the church and the building collapsed, killing 22 of them.”