SUSPECTED members of the satanic Islamic sect, Boko Haram, executed another of their devilish operations in Nigeria’s second largest city of Kano on Friday, shooting dead a reporter with the Lagos-based Channels TV network, even as they carried out series of coordinated bombings around the ancient city.
The reporter, Eneche Akogwu, was present at the site of one of the bombings that had just been carried out at the Farm Center Police Station in Kano, and he was in the middle of recording the event and interviewing possible eyewitnesses before he was shot dead at close range.
Mr. Akogwu was reportedly shot as he approached a nearby crowd of onlookers.
The fatal attack occurred even as a series of bombings were carried out in the ancient city, raising fears that the terrorist organization, Boko Haram, may be spreading its tentacles further away from its North-Eastern base of Maiduguri, in Borno State, into other large northern cities.
As many as 20 separate blasts were heard around the city earlier on Friday, followed by sporadic automatic gunfire around the city. This caused residents to get into a state of panic as motorists and pedestrians sought the safety of their homes.
In recent weeks, Kano has been the site of some of the largest but peaceful protests in Nigeria, where thousands poured out to demonstrate against what they saw as a harsh economic policy of petroleum subsidy removal by the current government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
But the protests in Kano have shown noteworthy solidarity between Muslims and Christians, as both groups joined hands to protest the recent removal of petroleum subsidy. Christians were found forming rings of protection around Muslims who were praying during the large protests, even as Muslims visited Christian places of worship to show support and protection in the north.
Analysts of the latest development point at the popular solidarity between Christians and Muslims as proof that the recent terrorist activities are unpopular. Instead, they say, it proves that the terrorist acts are politically motivated by power prostitutes of northern extraction who have lost out in the current political equation in Nigeria seeking to incite religious violence in the country.
The police headquarters in Kano was targeted in one attack, according to police spokesmen. Police said a separate bomb hit the passport office, according to international newswire sources. There was no word initially on the number of casualties.
The fresh violence puts additional pressure on President Jonathan’s beleaguered administration, which was forced this week to reinstate partially a fuel subsidy following the recent nationwide protests and general strike that threatened oil production.
Terrorist elements battling the security forces and seeking to force wider implementation of Islamic law have stepped up attacks on government and Christian targets since Christmas when at least 37 people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church.
The increasing sophistication and co-ordination of their campaign since UN headquarters in the capital were targeted last August have cemented concern that Boko Haram militants are receiving training, financing and other assistance from global jihadist networks further afield, including al-Qaeda. Mr Jonathan warned recently that his government and security forces have been infiltrated by the sect.
Witnesses at the scene of the police headquarters blast saw smoke billowing out of the building, windows blown out and the roof collapsed. Firefighters had sprayed the roof with a hose to try to douse the flames.
According to the same witnesses, the bomber pulled up to the building on a motorbike then got off and ran at it holding a bag.
“We tried to stop him but he ran in forcefully with his bag. All of a sudden there was a blast. You can see for yourself: the building is damaged,” said a policeman at the scene.
Additional Reports from Reuters.