Bomb blast near Nigerian church injures 5 people

A bomb explosion near a church in Nigeria's northern city of Suleja today injured five people and gutted more than five vehicles amid a wave of violence by a radical Islamist sect in the country. "The bomb exploded from an abandoned car and investigations have commenced," police spokesman Richard Oguche said of the explosion in Suleja which is near the Nigeriaan capital Abuja. The explosion occurred near Christ Embassy church located near some hotels, Yushua Shuaib, the spokesman of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said. The explosion took place as the church began its service. Police said one of the five injured persons sustained serious injury and has been taken to the hospital while the rest had minor cuts. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast but radical Islamic sect Boko Haram has been waging a bloody conflict to install an Islamic government and Sharia rule in the country. It had on Christmas day last year killed 44 persons at St Theresa’s Catholic church in the same city. Last month, more than 185 were killed in a coordinated bomb and gun attacks by the group in the northern city of Kano. A suicide bomb attack by the group at the United Nations headquarters in Abuja in July killed 26 persons. A gunmen shot dead a cleric and local politician in northeastern city of Maiduguri yesterday. The sect has been suspected to be involved in the violence but it has not claimed responsibility. The 150-million Nigeria has both Muslim and Christian population, with Muslims predominant in the north while Christians mostly live in the South.