Nigeria's President condemns church bombing

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned Sunday's suicide bombing of a Catholic church in Kaduna, capital of the country's northern Kaduna state, describing it as "barbaric, cruel and uncalled for''.

In a statement signed by his spokesman, the President said the attack was apparently aimed at reversing the progress that has been made by his government in the fight against terrorism in the country

''It is obvious that these people do not mean well for Nigeria and its unity and development," he said, while expressing.the confidence that the war against terrorism would become more unrelenting as the nation would never give in to the forces of terror and retardation.  

"Our efforts to deal with all acts of terror and violence would only be redoubled even as the security agencies continue to receive all the support they need from government to reverse this unfortunate and unacceptable trend that threatens the peace and stability of our nation," President Jonathan said.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), eight persons were killed and 145 injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-packed vehicle against the gates of the St Rita's Catholic Church in the city, destroying a part of the church building.

Several more deaths were recorded in the ensuing reprisal attacks by Christians in the city, which is almost equally divided between Christians and Muslims.

No person or group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which came as the authorities were touting the progress they have made against the violent Islamic sect Boko Haram.

The sect, which has killed  over 1,500 people in gun and bomb attacks since 2009, has claimed responsibility for past bombing of churches in the predominantly-Muslim northern Nigeria.

The military Joint Task Force battling the Boko Haram insurgency has recently reported the killing or arrest of several top Boko Haram commanders
-0- PANA SEG 28Oct2012