Suicide bombers on Sunday rammed their vehicle into the headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Jos during the? morning service, killing some of the worshipers.
The casualty figure is still uncertain, but Police Commissioner Emmanuel Ayeni confirmed that an unspecified number of people had been killed.
Also, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed three persons dead and 38 injured.
Mr Manaseh Pampe, Chairman, Plateau Chapter of the Red Cross, whose members were seen evacuating some of the casualties, said that he was neither sure of the figures of those killed nor those injured.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who was close to the scene of the explosions, reports that the vibration of the blasts shook most parts of the city.
Eyewitnesses said that the bombers were dressed in army uniforms.
NAN reports that most of the worshippers were pulled out of the rubbles of the collapsed building, while 37 vehicles were badly damaged by the explosions with that of the suicide bombers reduced to fractions.
The Pastor in-charge of the Church, Rev. John Dalyop, told NAN that the actual figure of casualties could not be ascertained as yet as many were in coma and could not be resuscitated at the church.
NAN reports that many of the casualties were taken to Plateau Specialist Hospital, Sauki Hospital,? Bingham University Teaching Hospital, while others were taken to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
When NAN visited the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Dr Samuel Ibrahim, the doctor on duty, said that three female worshippers were confirmed dead while 25 were on admission with some of them severely burnt.
An eyewitness told NAN that the two suicide bombers drove in a black jeep loaded with explosives and had beaten the check-point when the security personnel deployed into the church insisted on a search.
“The vehicle came in from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) junction and the bombers said they should be allowed to park after the check-point.
“The church security insisted on checking, but the bombers? pretended as if they were going to stop for the check, but just zoomed off into the Church compound where service was on going.
“The vehicle exploded immediately it ran inside the service; they were in a hurry as if they wanted to get to where the worshippers were because, perhaps, the timing of the explosives had almost reached’’? he further explained.
The President of COCIN, Rev. Soja Bewarang, wept uncontrollably at the scene, NAN reports.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, ASP Samuel Dabai, who was also at the scene of the incident, said that the command could only confirm the explosion for now but could not give more details. (NAN)
Additional report from NAN