10 dead as Nigeria church bombing sparks reprisals

A suicide attacker drove a car bomb into a church in northern Nigeria on Sunday, sparking fierce reprisals that saw a Christian mob burn a man alive in day of a bloody of violence that left at least 10 people dead and 145 wounded.Christian youths took to the streets of the city of Kaduna with machetes and sticks after the blast, targeting those they believed to be Muslims as anger again boiled over due to repeated church bombings in recent months.Attackers beat a motorcycle taxi driver near the church, then put his bike on top of him before dousing him with petrol and setting him on fire, an AFP correspondent who saw the violence said. Two other bloodied bodies apparently killed by the mob were seen near the church.A rescue official on condition of anonymity also spoke of the man being burnt and said rescuers could not save him because the mob was too violent.The mob also attacked an ambulance in the ensuing violence, but there was no indication that rescuers were wounded.“So far we have eight dead and 145 injured from the church blast,” Musa Ilallah, regional coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency, told AFP, noting that his death toll included the suspected bomber.The attacker rammed what residents said was an SUV into St. Rita church, shaking the Malali neighbourhood of Kaduna, a city that has suffered a wave of deadly violence blamed on Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.“All of a sudden it drove on high speed and rammed into the church wall, forcing its way into the church premises,” said witness Samuel Emmanuel.“Initially I thought the driver had lost control of the vehicle. Suddenly there was a huge explosion as the car reached the church building. It was dust, fire and smoke all over.”A spokesman for Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency confirmed the bomb attack and said rescuers had been rushed to the scene.“A number of casualties evacuated to hospitals,” said Yushau Shuaib. The incident was suspected to be triggered by a suicide bomber in a car.”An AFP correspondent said mobs were yelling “why the church?” and some were carrying weapons, including machetes. Local elders were seeking to restore calm.Agencies