Boko Haram bombs RCCG church in Yobe, kills 30 in Zamfara

Suspected members of the Boko Haram sect were on the rampage again on Sunday, bombing a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Potiskum, Yobe State, and killing about 30 in Zamfara State.
Six persons were feared killed in the church bombing.
Also, the Catholic leadership has urged the Kano State government to stop actions perceived to be against Christians, particularly its recent extension of monthly environmental sanitation to Sundays.
However, the state Government has denied targeting Christians in its actions.
A suicide bomber killed six people at the church ending a week in which suspected Boko Haram insurgents killed more than 200 people.
The blast in Potiskum came after an attack on Maiduguri, Borno State on Friday, deadly raids in three towns during the week and suicide bombings along a highway.
Also, more than 30 people were killed in fresh attacks by gunmen in Birnin-Magaji local government area of Zamfara State.
Muhammad Gusami, the chairman of the council, said on Sunday that the attacks took place in Kokeya and Chigama villages in the area.
Gusami said that the gunmen invaded Kokeya village with motorcycles and killed two people, set some houses ablaze and carted away animals. He disclosed that the incident had been reported to the divisional police officer of Birnin-Magaji as well as soldiers on surveillance of the zone.
According to the chairman, the gunmen returned the next day and also invaded the neighbouring village of Chigama.
“The gunmen, however, killed more than 30 persons whose bodies were still being recovered from the bush,’’ he said.
Gusami noted that the Chigama attack took place shortly after three police trucks left the village when they noticed that peace had returned to the area. The armed bandits also set several houses on fire on their second attack on Chigama village.
One of the witnesses, Ibrahim Sani, said that the gunmen attacked the villagers when they were returning from their prayers.
“The attackers shot sporadically in the air which prompted the people of Chigama to intervene. That may have provoked the gunmen to come back so as to punish Chigama people for trying to prevent the attack the previous day.
“While three persons were killed from Kokeya and Chigama on the first day in Kokeya, more than 50 were killed on the second day in Chigama while several houses were burnt,” Sani said.
Meanwhile, Sanusi Amiru, the police public relations officer, confirmed the attack and added that the police and army had moved to the area to restore peace and order there.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the killings.
A statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, on Sunday evening disclosed that the President received the news of the “dastardly bomb attack” at the church with sadness.
Adesina said that President Buhari “deeply” regretted the unfortunate loss of lives and commiserated “with all those who lost loved ones in the incident which also caused needless injury to others and damage to the church building.”
Buhari reaffirmed his administration’s “total commitment” to eradicating “Boko Haram, terrorism and mindless extremism from Nigeria in the shortest possible time.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama (Archbishop of Jos), has called on the Kano State Government to clearly state that Christians are exempted from the extension of sanitation from Saturday to Sundays.
Kaigama while reacting to the announcement made by the Kano State Government through its State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ali Makoda, said that Sunday is a day of worship for Christians and as such the right of a Christians to worship those days should not be violated.
Although the Kano State government has said that participation on the Sunday extension is voluntary, as it does not affect both vehicular and human movements, Kaigama insisted that the state government needs to make the declaration “in clear terms.”
He told Daily Times during a telephone interview: “Overzealous people may take advantage of the situation to victimise Christians considering the fragile peace that exists between Christians and Muslims in the North East.”
Kaigama commended the state government for its effort in keeping Kano clean but warned that the administration must be cautious with the issue of religion considering the sensitivity of it.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, Alhaji Muhammad Garba, at the weekend denied rumours that the government had banned Christian worships at the end of every month in the state.
Garba described the report as unfortunate, saddening and malicious. He further described it as mischievous and aimed at tarnishing the image and good reputation of the state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his administration by some unpatriotic persons