Gunmen fired on worshippers in a church in central Nigeria, killing at least 19 people, including the pastor, and wounding others, the military has said.
The attack targeted a Deeper Life church in the town of Otite in Kogi state, about 250km (155 miles) south-west of Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Police and soldiers surrounded the church on Tuesday morning, witnesses said. It was unclear how many people were wounded in the attack Monday night.
The gunmen surrounded the church during a service and opened fire with Kalashnikov rifles, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Olorunyomi said. The pastor was among the dead.
Soldiers searched for gunmen through the night, but had made no arrests as of Tuesday, he added, No group has claimed responsibility.
The killings come as Nigeria faces continuing attacks from a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram. » | Associated Press in Abuja | Tuesday, August 07, 2012
