Students escape death as explosion rocks Taraba Catholic college

Many students escaped death Sunday night during an explosion that rocked part of Catholic Chapel of St. John’s College, Mutum-Biyu, headquarters of Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Principal of the College, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ikyaan, told journalists that the device went off around 7.20 pm on Sunday.

He said no life was lost, the building was affected.

“The youths and some students were holding a programme in the Chapel which double as the school hall and left the premises shortly before the explosion,” he said.

Ikyaaan called for a thorough investigation to unravel those behind the attack, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to book.

After the attack in the church, it was learnt that the terrorists also went inside the town and started shooting.

A resident Mallam Dalhatu Sule told Daily Trust that the shooting started when people were observing Magrib prayers.

He said they were forced to shorten the time of prayers and leave the mosques hurriedly.

Mutumbiyu town has come under attacks by terrorists recently, leading to abductions.

“The terrorists attempted to abduct a businessman named Alhaji Babale but luckily for him, he escaped through the back door of a mosque inside his filling station, where he was praying,” Sule said.

Taraba State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Usman, confirmed the attack.

“What happened was that some kidnappers attempted to seize the owner of one filling station in the town; fortunately the owner of the filing station escaped unhurt.

“The attackers threw an explosive into the church to scare people and enable them escape from the town,” he stated.