Bloody Christmas Eve in Nigeria

Pictures are now in from near Jos in central Nigeria where bombs tore through two villages on Christmas Eve.

Around 40 people died and over 70 were injured in seven separate blasts in two locations.

In the north of the country six people died in the town of Maiduguri. Three Christian churches were attacked, with one being burned. Hundreds died here last year when an Islamic extremist group Boko Haram rose up and fought security forces.

The police say the attacks in Jos killed Christians and Muslims alike as they targeted markets at one of the busiest times of the year. The city has a history of inter-communal violence.

Tension is increasing in Africa’s most populous country ahead of presidential elections in April.

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