A massive bomb ripped through a bus station in Abuja early Monday morning, killing at least 71 people and injuring hundreds, the Associated Press reported. It is the deadliest terrorist attack to ever hit Nigeria's capital.
The bomb exploded at 6:55 a.m. during the morning traffic rush. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan blamed Boko Haram, a Nigerian Islamist militant group, for the attack. The group has not claimed responsibility.
Police spokesman Frank Mba said the blast injured at least 124 people, destroyed 16 buses, and damaged 24 other vehicles, according to Bloomberg. Witnesses at the scene reported that likely as many as 200 people were killed.
Nigeria, population 170 million, is Africa’s biggest economy and a major oil producer. The country is predominantly Muslim in the north and Christian in the south.
Boko Haram — meaning "Western Education is Forbidden" — has been waging a four-year insurgency in Abuja and the country’s north. More than 4,000 people have been killed and nearly half a million forced to flee, according to the International Crisis Group.
