Suicide bomber killed in Nigerian church explosion: police

A suicide bomber who targeted a church in northeastern Nigeria's state of Gombe during a new year mass was killed by his own bomb, local police authorities said.

The suicide bomber rode on a motorcycle and tried to enter a branch of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Tudun Wada area but was denied entry by a heavy security presence, Gombe State police chief Fawaje Atajiri said while confirming the attack to a Xinhua reporter in the state capital.

"He came with a motorcycle and tried to enter the place but as a result of the security measures put in place, he was blocked and the bomb exploded instantly and he was killed," the police chief said.

An eyewitness named Aminu Waja said unspecified number of people sustained various degrees of injury. The injured were quickly taken to health facilities in the area.

He said one of the injured people was wheeled into the theater at one of the facilities, for a surgery.

Boko Haram, known for carrying out such attacks, was blamed for the new year day incident. Enditem