25 Killed in Easter Sunday Bombing in Northern Nigeria

Dozens of people were killed in an explosion in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna on Sunday. (CNN/Safiya Akaua)

     Nigeria suffered another terrorist attack this morning as a bomb exploded at 8:04 a.m. near a busy section of Kaduna where street salespeople tend to gather near the stadium. The explosion killed over twenty people and injured another thirteen. It occurred close to a church where Nigerian Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday together, a dangerous practice in the predominantly Islamist country. Christians in Nigeria have come under frequent attack in recent months by a terrorist organization that is attempting to wipe Western influence from its country and restore Islamic rule.

     Some of the attacks that Nigerian Christians have experienced in recent months include a car bomb outside a Catholic church that killed six people and a series of bombings that struck churches across different cities in Nigeria on Christmas morning. These attacks, and many others, are believed to be the work of the terrorist group Boko Haram, a jihadist terrorist organization based in the northeast of Nigeria. Boko Haram opposes man-made laws and seeks to establish sharia law in Nigeria while abolishing the secular system of government. To learn more about Boko Haram and the impact it has on Nigeria watch the video below:

          While Boko Haram believes itself to be representative of the Islamic community in Nigeria there are many organizations that condemn the actions of the terrorist group. Dr Mu'azu Babangida, the Niger state governor, has criticized the violent and criminal activities the organization employs in the name of Islam, a religion the governor states is based in peace. Other groups to oppose the actions of Boko Haram include; the Coalition of Muslim Clerics in Nigeria, the Islamic Circle of North America, the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Council on American Islamic Relations.

     So if the Islamic community does not support Boko Haram then how do they still manage to do so much damage and kill so many people in Nigeria. By early 2012, the group is responsible for over 900 deaths and as is apparent from the bombings today this number is not slowing down. Boko Haram continues to murder both Christians and Muslims alike in their quest to remove any Western influence from Nigeria. 

     Eliminating the terrorist group has become more difficult lately due to the belief that they are being trained by outside organizations such as al-Qaeda. This is evident through the increased sophistication in which their bombs are being made and deployed in Nigeria. Officials in Nigerian politics and law enforcement have also been linked to Boko Haram. In the video below it is evident that the country's problems also extend to the police force and government as innocent civilians are gunned down in the street by those in charge of stopping the Boko Haram. Be warned that the video does show graphic images and should be viewed with caution. 

         

     The people of Nigeria face a difficult road ahead. Boko Haram continues to put pressure on the locals and terrorize the Christian community through continued violence and murder. The government is slow to react and the police appear to be just as lawless as the terrorist group they hunt. Those caught in the middle have little hope for peace as those with power continue to use violence to get their message across. While it's clear that there's no easy solution to the violence that continues to spread across Nigeria, you can still help by writing to your local government and questioning the role that your community has had in improving the lives of those who are suffering. Share what you've learned here with other people, conduct your own research and expand your comfort zone to include those who are not so different from you. 

     For more information about the bombing that occurred this morning visit this link.