Grand Mosque Explosion: “Extremely serious sin against God” – Pope Francis

Pope Francis has condemned the deadly attacks that occurred at the Emir of Kano’s Central mosque in Kano, which claimed about 200 lives, describing it as an “extremely serious sin against God.”

Pope Francis made the comments yesterday, the final day of his trip to Turkey.  Apart from those killed, about 135 people were wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly prayers on Friday at the Grand Mosque in Kano.

In a meeting with Turkish political and religious officials, at the start of his second trip to the Middle East this year, the Pope further urged Muslim leaders to condemn the “barbaric violence” being committed in Islam’s name against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.The Pope’s comment is coming two days after the attack in Kano, which was also condemned by President Goodluck Jonathan, who has ordered full-scale investigation into the attack, emphasising his administration’s commitment to ending the incessant attacks which the Red Cross says had displaced more than 400,000 persons.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Boko Haram sect is the prime suspect, as the group had carried out similar attacks in the past.In like manner, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who condemned the attacks urged Christians and Muslims to join forces to defeat the terrorists. Health workers suspend indefinite strikeTo reduce the number of deaths arising from the attacks, the leadership of the Joint Health Workers Union has directed its members to return to duty, urgently.

The Secretary of the health workers’ union, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir told journalists that its indefinite strike “is hereby suspended following the Friday attack on Kano central mosque where hundreds of worshippers were now rushed to the hospital.”Members of the union at Aminu Kano teaching hospital and National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala had joined their counterpart across the country on indefinite strike over age-long demands from the Federal Government.Meantime, thousands of residents, yesterday, trooped to hospitals to donate blood in response to the clarion call to assist victims of the blasts.