NIGERIA: Rockets fired at Jos Islamic school, STF - Boy, 5 others killed

Three rocket-propelled grenades were fired in Jos yesterday, one at an Islamic school packed with students taking exams and two near an office of the Special Task Force, ratcheting tensions in the city that has been plagued by recurrent violence.

A 9-year-old boy was killed in the first attack that targetted the Nurul Islam School in Bukuru of Jos South local government area at about 10.30am, while two more people were found dead in the vicinity soon after.

Later in the day, three more people were killed in other parts of the city including an area close to the Plateau State Government House.

In the school attack, witnesses said three unidentified persons drove to the area and fired a grenade from a red Golf car as students of the Islamiyya school were writing exams.

The grenade missed the school but hit a nearby home, killing a boy named Rufai Umar.

Authorities quickly closed the school and sent the students home.

Secretary of the elders committee in Bukuru, Bala Baba Mohammed, told Daily Trust that two other adults, named Yusuf and Waje, were found dead in the area a few minutes later.

“One (had) bullet wounds and the other was hacked by a sharp object,” he said.

“The victim of the rocket launch is 9-year-old Rufai Umar, his brain is wide open and all over the place. The situation is pathetic.

“About two months ago, gunmen killed our people. Then, just three weeks ago some explosives were planted around this same area. Now three of our people have been killed.”

Spokesman for the STF, Captain Salisu Mustapha, confirmed the attack, saying the assailants used a rocket-propelled grenade to shoot at the Islamiyya school.

“Sometime around 10.30, a car parked along the road close to Nurul Islamiyya school and almost immediately someone got out and fired an RPG at the Islamiyya but fortunately the shot missed its target, venturing into a house nearby and killing a 9-year-old boy,” Mustapha said.

He said angry youths from both feuding sides in the area rushed to take over the main road but were dispersed by security men.

Later in the afternoon, two more rocket-propelled grenades were fired near the STF Sector 5 command in Bukuru but there were no casualties recorded.

The STF spokesman confirmed this but said the command was not the target.

“(The) RPGs were not targeted at the Sector 5 Command; they were fired in the vicinity but both exploded mid air. Thank God no one was injured,” he said, adding that the area had been cordoned and search was going on for the attackers.

Killing near Govt House

Also yesterday, three people were found dead around fruit and vegetable market at Building Material area and at Mai-Adiko in Rayfield area of Jos.

They were 61-year-old Alhaji Boyi Mai-Nama, taxi driver Malam Jauro and Hassan Idi.

Secretary of the fruit and vegetable market, Fodio Umar, told Daily Trust that Mai-Nama was found dead in the vicinity after information went round town that a bomb had exploded in Bukuru.

Jauro was found dead minutes later behind the market along Sabin Bariki road, he added.

Fodio said they had already alerted the authorities on the attacks and one person has been arrested.

Leader of the Mai-Adiko community, Malam Danjuma Muhammad, confirmed the death of Hassan Idi around Rayfield area. “He went to deposit sand close to a DIG’s house in Rayfield and was attacked and killed by some Berom youths close to the State Government House but when they saw the soldiers coming they all ran,” he said.

But STF spokesman Mustapha said he was not aware of the incidents.

THE DAILY TRUST