The death toll from a suicide bombing outside a church in Nigeria has risen to 21, with security forces to blame for the eight of the deaths, the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
"Twelve died as a result of
the bomb blast while eight were shot dead by the military who went to the blast
site to maintain law and order," Lawi Pokti, the director of the Christian
Association of Nigeria in Bauchi said.
Pokti did not include the bomber
in the death toll. A suicide bomber on Sunday blew up a car laden with
explosives outside the Harvest Field Pentecostal Church in Bauchi State, some
400km north-east of the capital Abuja.
Witnesses reported that police
and soldiers had opened fire at the scene of the bombing where a crowd had
gathered.
"We declare that the
security has no moral, ethical and empirical justification to open fire on the
women, youths and children who came out to mourn their loved ones. We see this
act as extra-judicial killing and worthy of remorse by the Nigerian Army,"
Pokti said.
Media reports said the Islamist
group Boko Haram, which is seeking to impose strict sharia doctrine in the
north of the country, claimed responsibility for the bombing.