Nigerian Police Find Hundreds of Bombs in Kano as Toll Continues to Rise

Boko Haram: We Warned Kano Leadership Beforehand

The death toll in the recent attacks in Kano, Nigeria continues to rise today. Police now confirm at least 186 deaths in the bombings across the city. And there may be more to come.

Police report that they have found at least 10 cars full of explosives and hundreds of other unexploded bombs across the city since the attacks.

The bombings took place on Friday; most of the bombs targeted police stations. Boko Haram immediately confirmed its role, saying it was because police were refusing to release detained members.

Boko Haram released a further statement over the weekend, reiterating that the attacks were “revenge” for the persecution of its members. The attacks would have been launched months ago, the statement said, but religious scholars had convinced members they would keep the security forces from arresting them. The organization added that it also warned officials in December that it was planning the attacks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.