By OKEY NDIRIBE
ABUJA—It was only the alertness of eagle-eyed security personnel attached to Christ Embassy Church located at 82 Morocco Road, Suleija that prevented what could have turned out another massacre similar to that which happened last Christmans day at nearby Madalla, Niger State.

Matthew Musa, a worshipper who was in the church when the bomb exploded at about 10 am Sunday said: “One of our members who had parked his car outside the church premises had suddenly remembered something he forgot in the booth of his car.

The scene of the bomb blast at Christ Embassy Church Morocco Road Suleja where four people sustained injured on Sunday. The bomb was planted in between two cars parked in front of the Church. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

“When the man went to pick what he forgot from the booth of his car, he noticed that a strange object which looked like a Bagco Super sack had been placed in front of his car. When he looked inside the bag, he noticed it contained a big tin tomato which had wires connected to it. He immediately alerted security men working in the church and the pastor”.

Musa further stated that it was this man who immediately raised the alarm about the presence of what was suspected to be a bomb near the church.

According to him: “The Pastor had immediately gotten in touch with the Police, Army  and other security agencies and they were rushing towards the area when the blast occurred”.

Musa further said after his pastor made calls to alert the security operatives, security men attached to the church had swung into action by preventing members of the church and other passers-by from getting close to the spot where the suspicious object was placed.

He further said the story would have been different if the bomb had exploded immediately after the church service while worshippers were trooping out.

Miss Kelechi John, a member of Triumphant Ministries, another church which also holds its service within the same building narrated her own experience.

Said she: “The Pastor had just announced that it was time to pray. He had just said ‘In Jesus name!’ and the congregation replied ‘Amen!’ and the next thing we heard was the sound of a very loud explosion. We all began to run for our dear lives. It was the Pastor who came out last”.

It was learnt that although there were no casualties, several persons were wounded, including a man whose abdomen was slashed open by the impact of the blast. The man was said to be a resident of another  house located  directly opposite the spot where the bomb exploded.

Another resident of the house who spoke on condition of anonymity said the injured man whose name was given as Chike was standing in front of the house when the explosion occurred. Another lady who also resides in the house said a lady was severely wounded on her neck.

Both injured persons were said to have been rushed to Suleija General Hospital after which they were transferred to Gwagwalada General Hospital.

A resident of the building in which the two churches are located who identified himself simply as Ekene said the man who dropped the sack containing the explosive was seen.

According to him: “The man wore a white singlet and a knee-length Jeans trouser”.

The impact of the explosion was so powerful that it reduced two cars – between which the device was sandwiched- to heaps of scrap metal. Three other cars that were parked nearby had their windscreens shattered. The window panes and ceiling sheets within the affected buildings were all shattered.

Already a heavy security cordon has been thrown around the Suleija community with soldiers, policemen and operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, incharge.

It would recalled that a suicide bomber attacked St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla- a stone throw from Suleija- on Christmas day last year and left 43 people dead.