Two suspects arrested over Madalla Christmas Day bombing

Two men suspected to be members of Nigeria’s deadly Boko Haram sect were “caught in the act” and have been arrested for “throwing-in” bombs responsible for Christmas day bomb blast in Madalla, near Abuja, the National Security Adviser, Adrew Azazi, has said.

In a statement Sunday, Mr. Azazi said the three suspects had driven by the church – at the close of service – to throw-in the explosive device into the premises of St. Theresa Catholic Church Madalla, Niger state, contrary to earlier belief that they bombers had driven into the church before detonating the explosivw.

Mr. Azazi said the men had thrown the device “from a moving vehicle in the glare of everyone.”

The Christmas day bombing of the Madalla church killed over 20 worshipers and injured several others.

It was part of a coordinated five-bomb Christmas Day attacks across northern states by the deadly terrorist Boko Haram group.

According to the National Security Adviser, the Christmas Day blast in Jos, capital of Plateau state, targeted at another church followed the same pattern with Madalla’s and was “pre-meditated.”

In Damaturu, capital of Yobe State, the office of the State Security Services was also attacked, killing three service men and the suicide bomber.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, the sect had come under heavy attack by government security officials leading to the destruction of the sect’s major strongholds in Yobe, Kaduna and Kano.

The sect had also engaged Nigeria Army combatants in a fierce gun battle which the military said resulted in in the death of more than 40 insurgents.