Blast occurred after prayers against untimely death, says witness

Mrs. Josephine Jacobson, a 63-year-old Deaconess of the Christ Chosen Church of God, said the suicide attack occurred just after the congregation had finished prayers against “untimely death”.
Mrs. Jacobson told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital that she saw the car when it rushed into the church premises while she was sitting at the altar.
“I was wondering who could be driving into the premises with such a speed but before I knew it, I just heard a bang and saw that the roof of the church had come down on us.
“It was then that I realised we have been hit by suicide bomber.”
According to her, the blast occurred just after the congregation had finished a prayer session against “untimely death”. 
“Actually, we have never prayed like that before. Our pastor had barely asked us to sit down quietly for his sermon when the incident happened. It was by sheer providence that I am alive today,” the Deaconess said. 
Another victim, Mr Odey Randy, said that he saw when the suicide bomber’s car entered the church before explosive went off. 
“I was just passing by in the front of the church on my way to buy something in a shop when the blast occurred,” he said. 
Randy, who was hit on his right leg, spoke to NAN at the hospital while waiting for doctors to attend to him.
“I saw the car rushing into the church. It was a Toyota Corolla saloon, but the blast went off just early enough to affect me.
“I didn’t suspect that the car belonged to a suicide bomber. I just thought it was driven by one of the church members rushing in to meet up with the service.”
Sympathisers and relations besieged BUTH in search of loved ones admitted after the bomb attack.
The crowd at a time became uncontrollable, forcing the hospital management to barricade the entrance of one of the wards.
“You people are making things so difficult for us in this place. Please, kindly leave the veranda of this ward and stay outside to enable us to attend to you loved ones“ a nurse, who gave his name as Sam, pleaded.
When the crowd refused to heed the plea, the nurse called in one of the senior nurses, who mobilised some of the attendants to force the sympathisers to give way.
As soon as they moved out of the way, the entrance to the ward was barricaded.
At that point, the people besieged the windows of the ward to look through and also talk to their loved ones on admission.
Mrs Maria Goni, Director, Nursing Services, said that the hospital had to control the crowd because of the risk of having too many people inside the ward.
“Besides, the victims need not be disturbed in view of their conditions,’ ‘she said.