Nigerian Imam Denounces Boko Haram - Mosque Promptly Attacked By Suicide Bombers And Gunmen Killing 120

From the Daily Mail:

At least 120 people are feared dead and 270 more injured after gunmen and suicide bombers attacked a mosque in northern Nigeria during Friday prayers this afternoon. 

Witnesses reported three separate explosions and said the gunmen opened fire on worshippers in the assault at the Grand mosque in Kano, in the west African country’s second-largest city. 

Nigerian Captain Ikechukwu Eze confirmed the blasts at the site where hundreds had gathered to listen to a sermon from the city’s chief imam and prayers were under way at 2pm local time. 

Analysts said the attack bore the hallmarks of Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The local muslim leader the Emir of Kano had recently called for people to arm themselves against the extremists. 

‘But when people stopped him, he detonated the explosions. People started running helter-skelter.’ 

Grand mosque leader the Emir of Kano, the second highest Islamic authority in the country, usually leads prayers for worshippers. 

It is not known if he was present during the attack. One eyewitness told the BBC’s Focus on Africa: ‘The imam was about to start prayer when he saw somebody in a car trying to force himself into the mosque.