Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Church

Barely 24 hours after bombs went off in Maiduguri and Damaturu respectively, gunmen late Thursday attacked a church in Gombe killing at least six people, the church's pastor says. Johnson Jauro said the killings took place when gunmen burst into his Deeper Life Church in the capital of Gombe state. (SOurce: This Day)

He said his wife was among those killed. Ten other people were injured. The nation has recently experienced a surge in ethnic and sectarian violence. Only recently President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in a number of local government areas in four states of the country. "The attackers started shooting sporadically. They shot through the window of the church, and many people were killed including my wife," Jauro told Reuters news agency. "Many members who attended the church service were also injured."

No group said it carried out the attack, but the Islamist group Boko Haram recently carried out a string of bombings on Christmas Day, including against a church in the capital Abuja which killed dozens of people. Earlier on Thursday, two suspected members of Boko Haram were arrested after a father and son were killed in Maiduguri in neighbouring Borno state.

Attacks by Boko Haram have become increasingly frequent and are a major problem for security agencies. The President has vowed to "crush" the group. Several northern states surrounding Gombe have had their borders sealed off under the state of emergency declared by Jonathan following the Christmas bombings.

Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state and wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria. Followers of Boko Haram believe any political or social activity associated with Western values should be banned. This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers and receiving a secular education. Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers and this was the case even when the country had a Muslim president. - With the BBC