News-Nigeria: Boko Haram claims responsibility for Nigeria attacks

Lagos, Nigeria - The Islamic sect Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the series of bomb and gun attacks targeting security agencies in Nigeria's northern city of Kano on Friday evening.

According to the local Daily Trust newspaper, the leader of the group, Abul Qaqa, said the attacks were in response to the refusal of the Kano state government to release some of the sect's members who had been arrested in the state.

He said they were forced to resort to the attacks after an open letter they had sent late in 2011 to the Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; and several other top personalities in the state went unheeded.

According to the paper, the attacks included the one by a suicide bomber, who rammed his explosive-laden car into the zonal police headquarters, killing an unspecified number of people, including police officers.

An eyewitness said he saw three bodies lying around and that 30 persons were taken to various hospitals.

Gun and bomb attacks were also carried out against the offices of the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigerian Immigration Service and several police stations.

Casualty figures from all the attacks are yet unknown.

Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for the Christmas day bombing at a church in Madalla, near the Nigeria capital, Abuja, that left 44 dead, and the bombing of the UN office in Abuja in which 25 died last year.

Source http://www.afriquejet.com/news-nigeria-boko-haram-claims-responsibility-for-nigeria-attacks-2012012131872.html