At least 35 persons have been killed on Wednesday after a bomb exploded in a car at Alkali road and Kawo bridge in Kaduna, Kaduna State.
The bomb was reportedly concealed in a red Volkswagen Golf car parked by the road side and was detonated as a prominent cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s, convoy drove past.
The sheikh, however, escaped unhurt. Another bomb was said to have gone off along Kawo bridge shortly after the Alkali blast.
The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Umar Shehu , has confirmed that 25 people died following the bomb explosion that occurred along Alkali Road. But sources around the area said that about 35 people lost their lives in the bomb attack. And just as the security agencies were attending to the first bomb attack, another one also occurred around Kawo area of Kaduna city.
However, the Alkali road incident is near Murtala Square, where muslim faithful had gathered to round up the Ramadan Tafsir led by a prominent Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.
The bomb exploded few minutes after the programme which ended at about 1:00pm, killing people who were just leaving the venue of the event through Alkali road.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but a terrorist group, Boko Haram, will be the prime suspect, as they have carried out similar attacks in the past in some states in the northeast.
The blast scattered debris and dead bodies on the Alkali road in the city.
Other reports say that cars and lorries loaded with goods are stranded on the highway unable to cross the Ngala bridge.
Security personnel are already at the scene and trying to secure the area.
