JAJI BLAST: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 15, SAYS COMMANDANT

The Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, AVM Abdullahi Kureh, said the death toll of Sunday blasts in Jaji, Kaduna had increased to 15.

Kureh confirmed this to Governor Patrick Yakowa on yesterday when he visited the site of the attack in Jaji, Igabi local government area of Kaduna State.

He condemned a situation where people who went to church to worship God were attacked by another group, assuring that security had been beefed up to forestall future recurrence.

Kureh decried the spates of attacks witnessed in various parts of the country, adding that no meaningful development could be achieved without peace.

On his own part, Governor Yakowa commiserated with the family of the victims, describing the incident as an act of 'terrorism or religious extremism aimed at destroying the country.'

He condemned the attack at the command, saying people expected that the command, as a premier military institution, should have solution to the insurgency bedevilling the nation.

Yakowa stressed the need for a synergy between all the security agencies, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders to arrest the situation.

He directed that all government installations, as well as civilian should be properly secured against any attack.

The governor urged the perpetrators to lay down their arms, embrace peace as the government was ready to dialogue with them.

Yakowa said the state government and the military would assist the victims to enable them recover.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that 11 people were on Sunday killed in a twin bomb blast at the St Andrew Military Protestant Church, Military Cantonment, Jaji.