At least 11 killed in ‘barbaric’ Nigeria church shooting

WARRI, Nigeria: At least 11 worshippers were shot dead at a church in southeast Nigeria on Sunday, with authorities suggesting the bloodshed was due to a local feud.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, describing the incident as “an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege,” his office said.

Buhari said “there was no justification whatsoever to target church worshippers and kill them in cold blood.”

At around 6am ( 0500 GMT) at least one gunman opened fire at Saint Philip’s church in Ozubulu, near the city of Onitsha, unleashing terror on the congregation.

Chukwuma Emeka said he had just stepped out of the church to stretch his legs “when I heard gunshots and screaming and people running inside.”

“When the chaos subsided I went inside, I saw my fellow church members dead in a pool of their own blood and many others were screaming in pain.”

Attacks on churches are rare in southern Nigeria, where there is a predominantly Christian population. The country’s mainlyMuslim north has been gripped by a violent campaign by Boko Haram jihadists, who specialise in targeting religious centres.

There were varying accounts of what happened in Ozubulu. Witnesses said five gunmen in masks stormed the church, but police said the killing was the work of a lone shooter. — AFP