The blasts went off outside the Emir's Palace Mosque. Witnesses said they heard gunshots but did not know who was firing.
"Two bombs exploded, one after the other, in the premises of the Grand Mosque seconds after the prayers had started," resident Aminu Abdullahi said, adding that a third went off nearby.
- The AFP news agency put the death toll at 120.
"It was a very brazen attack in the centre of the city. The crowds at the mosque is usually the largest in the city during Friday prayers," Rageh, reporting from Yola in the nearby Adamawa State, said.
The Emir, Lamido Sanusi, was said to be inside the mosque at the time, with the explosions happening in an outdoor courtyard.
There was also no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on Boko Haram armed group, which has for five years waged a vicious insurgency against the government.
The old mosque and palace date back centuries to when Kano was one of several Islamic empires thriving off trade in gold, ivory and spices from caravan routes connecting Africa's interior with its Mediterranean coast -- glory days of Saharan Islam that Boko Haram says it wants to recreate.
Islamic leaders in Nigeria sometimes shy away from direct criticism of Boko Haram for fear of reprisals, but Sanusi, angered by atrocities such as the kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok in April, has become an increasingly vocal Boko Haram critic.
UN and US condemnation
Last week, Sanusi, a respected Muslim figure, called on the people of Nigeria to defend themselves against Boko Haram.
"These people [Boko Haram], when they attack towns, they kill boys and enslave girls … People must stand resolute," he told the Daily Post website.
"People should be sensitised on the importance of being on the alert. And they should prepare, they should acquire what they will defend themselves with," he was quoted as saying.
The "horrendous" attack was condemned by the US who said it "stands with the Nigerian people in their struggle against violent extremism".
UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and said "there can be no justification for attacks on civilians".
Washington also pointed the finger at Boko Haram. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "These attacks, while as yet unclaimed, have all the hallmarks of Boko Haram and the group's disregard for human life as it continues in its efforts to destabilise Nigeria."
[aljazeera.com]
29/11/14
--
-
-------------------------
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack on a mosque that happened in Kano, Nigeria on Friday...
ReplyDeleteBan said he “condemns the horrific attack on the Kano Central Mosque today, which reportedly left dozens of people dead and possibly hundreds others injured.”
The UN said Ban “conveys his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and to the people and Government of Nigeria and wishes swift recovery to the injured.”...............http://sputniknews.com/politics/20141129/1015284405.html
29/11/14
United States Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Nigeria...
ReplyDeletePress Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 28, 2014
---
"The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s horrendous attack on worshippers at the Central Mosque in Kano and recent attacks on innocent civilians in northeastern Nigeria. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the individuals killed and injured.
These attacks, while as yet unclaimed, have all of the hallmarks of Boko Haram and the group’s disregard for human life as it continues in its efforts to destabilize Nigeria.
The United States stands with the Nigerian people in their struggle against violent extremism and the threat of terrorism and affirms our ongoing commitment to work with all Nigerians to combat these atrocities."
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/11/234495.htm
28/11/14