Gunmen Kill 6 in Nigerian Church Attack

By Diaa Bekheet

The pastor of a church in northeastern Nigeria says gunmen burst into a Thursday night service, killing six worshippers and wounding 10.

Pastor Johnson Jauro of the Deeper Life church in Gombe said the gunmen opened fire on the congregation while he was holding a prayer service. He said is his wife was among the dead.

Police confirmed the attack and said an investigation was ongoing.

Though no one has claimed responsibility, suspicion immediately fell on the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Earlier this week, the group warned Christians in the largely Muslim north to leave the region in three days or face death.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks, including the Christmas day bombing of a Catholic church in Abuja that killed more than 30 people.

The sect, whose name means "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language, was responsible for the killings of at least 500 people throughout the country last year.

It is fighting to implement a radical interpretation of Islamic law across Nigeria, which is divided between a primarily Muslim north and a mainly Christian south.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in 15 regions last week, closing parts of the borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Mr. Jonathan has vowed to crush Boko Haram, but his critics complain that he has done little to rein in the group. ---VOA News