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A car destroyed by the bomb sits outside the premises of ThisDay Newspapers bombed in Abuja on Thursday.
Suicide car bombers targeted the offices of Nigerian newspaper This Day in the capital Abuja and northern city of Kaduna on Thursday, killing at least four people in apparently coordinated strikes.
This Day is based in southern Nigeria and is broadly supportive of President Goodluck Jonathan's government - the main target for Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram, which has killed hundreds of people this year in shootings and bombings.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
At around 11 a.m. one bomber drove a jeep into the daily's office in Abuja, killing himself and two others, witnesses and the state security service (SSS) said.
At the same time, 90 miles north in Kaduna, a car was stopped from getting into This Day's offices and one of the attackers jumped out.
Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP – Getty Images
A policeman stands in front of the premises of ThisDay newspapers bombed by suicide bombers early in Abuja on Thursday.
"He was immediately challenged by two gallant Nigerians, following which he threw the bomb at them and it detonated, killing them instantly," the SSS said in a statement.
It identified the bomber as Umaru Mustapha, from Maiduguri in Borno state, the home of Boko Haram in the remote northeast of Africa's most populous nation.
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Later in the day, authorities reported another explosion in Kaduna. There were no further details.
Boko Haram, whose name in the Hausa language means "Western education is sinful", has not previously targeted the press in its bombings. Last October, the sect killed a reporter for state-run television who it said was an informant.
Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP – Getty Images
Police officers scan debris of the engine of the Jeep used to bomb newspaper offices in Abuja, Thursday.
Boko Haram has been fighting a low level insurgency for more than two years and has become the main security menace in Africa's top oil producer. Most attacks have been in the largely Muslim north, well away from the southern oil fields.
This Day angered Muslims a decade ago when one of its columnists suggested the Prophet Mohammad might have wanted to marry a beauty queen. At least 100 people were killed in ensuing riots.
"Horrendous and wicked"
President Jonathan, in Ivory Coast for talks with other West African leaders on a crisis in Mali, said in a statement the attacks on This Day were "misguided, horrendous and wicked."
"The President urged media practitioners not to be dissuaded from carrying out their fearless campaign for peace, justice and equity, as democracy cannot flourish without press freedom," the statement from his media adviser said.
At least 27 lay dead at a Christian church in Nigeria after a bombing there that was part of a wave of blasts across the country on Christmas Day. An Islamist group claimed credit. NBC's Rohit Kachroo reports.
In August last year, Boko Haram carried out a suicide car bombing at the United Nations building in Abuja that killed 25 people and prompted a ramp-up in security measures.
At the scene of the Abuja blast on Thursday, sirens wailed as police and fire fighters rushed in. Smoke billowed from the building, whose windows were all smashed.
Soldiers and police cordoned off the area, while emergency workers evacuated wounded on stretchers to waiting ambulances.
"The suicide bomber came in a jeep and rammed a vehicle into the gate," said Olusegun Adeniyi, chairman of the This Day editorial board. "Two of our security men died, and obviously the suicide bomber died too."
This Day's publisher, Nduka Obaigbena, is a celebrity in Nigeria and puts on music, art and fashion events in cities in around the world.
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More Islamic extremists? Seems the whole world is surrounded by nuts? These people must have zero brain capacity? I think they have dillussions of grandeur? (Not sure of spelling?) People like that, should be shot on sight!
Governments should legalize open warfare on these extremists! That might make them think twice before doing this sort of thing? Doubtful!!!
How would that make them think twice? They are suicide bombers and don't care if they die. They think that they get to go to the 7th gate of paradise and have 12 virgins by doing acts like this.
I do agree though that something needs to be done about these extremists other than the "war on terror".
Yes I agree, their kind of mindset is known as EVIL. The only thing to protect people from evil is to kill it.
It is predominately young Muslims doing the suicide martyrdom bombings. Amazing how their religious leaders rarely give their lives up. They have been raised since the cradle to want to die for Islam. This is the true Islam in its pure and violent form. I have seen a video of a youngster not older than 10 years old sawing off a human head with a large knife. This is what they are teaching a whole generation of children. Occupation has been tried and it does not work. The most successful method of dealing with Islam is separation. Embargoes sanctions and walls have a higher success rate of preventing attacks on innocent civilians.
The next step will be biological warfare. Have you ever wondered why every year China seems to have more virulent strains of flu bugs? It is only a matter of time before the population is exposed to something that will significantly reduce populations.
IndianaEngineer,
What do you suggest?
Excellent question, I'll get back to you when I come up with a good solution. I suppose you support invading middle east countries?
Nigeria.. the shining star of the Dark Continent...!
Africa's leading oil producer.. median age of 20 years.. life expectancy of 52 years.. rampant corruption.. AIDS totally out of control..
However..
As unlikely as it would seem.. President Jonathan seems to be moving the country forward and out of the swirl of excrement this country seems to be caught in. 40% christian 50% muslim.. this makes for a hard time .. if you are a forward looking politician.. never an end to the ceaseless and senseless bombings and murders and jostling about for that gaggle of virgins awaiting the martyrs.
President Jonathon..
I wish you Good-luck.. You have a struggle to contend with.
@exodus 4:13 the picture you have painted of Nigeria is expected from a nazi such as yourself. I guess you were never taught if you do not have anything nice to say about something the keep your stupid mouth shut. I should do the same, but I had to address your nazi way of thinking. You have spewed nothing short of hate and disdain for a country that has just suffered from a terrorist attack, by muslims parasites. Let me set the record straight for you and other nazi scumbags.
These are just a few Nigeria accomplishments, mr nazi exodus you like are like their muslim attackers need to be eradicated. Nazi, Muslims, racist scumbags are nothing but human parasites.
I pray for the victims of this tragedy, brought on them by the muslims parasites. Unfortunately these so-called christians here in the USA just don't care, because they cannot see pass color. smh
Marvin..
Nazi,, really??!!
You would almost have a made an educated and informed retort .. had you not fallen into such a childish and ignorant personal attack..
tsk tsk
by the way..
the low number of comments on this issue truly shows that the majority of the readers in this forum have little or no interest In the Star of Africa.
Heil!!
Muslim and negro go together like pee and poop.
bigJimfromtexas your comment shows just how ignorant you texans are. You and exodus aught to win the Nazi of the year award.