Attack on Nigerian mosque one day after deadly shooting at a nearby church
Immediately after a prayer session on Tuesday, three gunmen opened fire at soldiers standing guard outside the Okene Central Mosque. The shooting left two soldiers and one civilian dead.
The same township, located 155 miles southwest of the Nigerian capital city of Abuja, was witness to another attack on Monday, when three assailants attacked a Bible study group at the Deeper Life evangelical church. The attack left 19 dead.
According to AllAfrica.com, attacks on places of worship have increased in recent months. As a result of this, the daily functioning of many Nigerian cities is coming to a standstill. Near Okene, taxi-drivers and shop-keepers have suspended services.
The mosque shooting occurred after the national chief of police increased security at all religious centers in Okene. AllAfrica.com also reports that as another cautionary measure, Governor Idris Wada is enacting a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Okene and limiting the operation of certain motor vehicles from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
No group has claimed responsibility for either shooting, but The Associated Press reports that many are pointing a finger at Boko Haram, an Islamist jihadist organization that is gaining followers in Nigeria.
The aim of Boko Haram is to implement Shariah law in Nigeria. The group has been known to attack both mosques and churches alike.
