Jos Bomb Blast: Pastor, Wife, Children Among 52 Victims On Admission

The Pastor of Christ Chosen Church of God, Monday Uzoka, his wife and two children are among the 52 victims affected by the suicide bomb that hit the Church in Jos on Sunday. 

The Islamist group, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing and a shooting at two churches which occurred in the early hours of today, Sunday, 10th of June 2012 in a statement released the group said:

“We are responsible for the suicide attack on a church in Jos and also another attack on another church in Biu,” a purported spokesman for the group told reporters in a phone conference. “We launched these attacks to prove the Nigerian security wrong and to debunk their claim that we have been weakened by the military crackdown.”

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), was informed by medical personnel that Uzoka and another Church elder were in “very critical situation”.

The rest of the 50 victims were on admission at the nearby Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH).

Mrs. Maria Goni, BUTH’s Director of Nursing Services, told our correspondent that the duo had to be transferred to JUTH “because they were in a serious condition and in dire need of surgery“.

“Right now, we have 50 persons on admission in our hospital. In fact, we are still counting and may have more. When we are through with counting, we shall know the exact figure we have.

“We have people with orthopeadic and laceration cases among others, but we are doing our best to treat them,” she said.

She said that no death had so far been recorded among the victims brought to the hospital.