AFRICA/NIGERIA - Bombing in Abuja: "the victims of the Boko Haram and Al -Qaeda alliance are poor workers", said a priest

Monday, 14 April 2014

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - A blast at a bus depot on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital Abuja has killed dozens of people during the morning rush hour. The authorities have not yet released an official toll of the explosion, which involved dozens of vehicles. "The place where the attack was carried out today is one of the largest suburbs of Abuja and is located 15-20 km from the center of Abuja" says to Fides Agency Fr. Patrick Tor Alumuku, Director of social Communications of the Archdiocese of Abuja. "The bus depot where the explosion took place is normally used by a large number of commuters to get to work in the center of the capital.
The victims are therefore normal people, who belong to the working class, who were on their way to work".
"The authorities have not yet confirmed that this was an attack carried out by Boko Haram, but suspicion is likely to fall on armed group Boko Haram", said Fr. Patrick.
Just yesterday, Sunday, April 13, Boko Haram killed at least 60 people in several villages in the north-east of Nigeria. "The situation is very difficult. The army is chasing the Boko Haram men but these in response commit reprisals against civilians", said Fr. Patrick .
The priest explained that the capability of the Islamist sect to resist the attacks of the army comes from the aid it receives from abroad. "A large number of Boko Haram fighters are not Nigerians, because Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM, which operates mainly in Mali and Niger, ed.) has decided to offer support to the Nigerian Islamist sect", said Fr. Patrick. AQIM is therefore involved in the financing, support and training of Boko Haram fighters. It is therefore no longer an internal war". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/04/2014)


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