Suicide Bomber Blows ECWA Church in Gombe

On New Year’s Eve, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Tudun Wada, Gombe, capital of Gombe state, killing an unspecified number of people. A security source who confirmed the blast to TheCable said it occurred some minutes before 9pm, while members of the church were at a service to herald the New Year.

“The suicide bomber was targeting the church. But thankfully, it was impossible to access the main building. The bomb was detonated at the gate,” a member of the church told TheCable on phone.

He could also not confirm how many people had been killed or wounded, but he played down the casualty toll, saying: “It would have been worse if the main church building was hit. Thank God it only happened at the gate.”