Five church bombs rock Nigeria

KADUNA, Nigeria (AFP) - Two more church bombings rocked Christian-dominated towns in Nigeria's Kaduna Sunday, bringing to five the number of explosions in the northern state, a local emergency official said.

"There were two simultaneous bomb attacks on churches in Nassarawa and Barnawa in the south of Kaduna this morning. We are yet to get information on casualities," Kaduna spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Aliyu Mohammed told AFP.

Southern Kaduna is some four kilometres from Kaduna city and about two hours drive from Zaria, where three churches were hit by bomb explosions early Sunday. There have been no immediate reports of casualties.

Authorities in Kaduna imposed a 24-hour curfew following the attacks,, a government spokesman and police said.

"The government has approved a 24-hour curfew with immediate effect in the state due to a breakdown of law and order," government spokesman Reuben Buhari told AFP.

The police also confirmed the decision.

"A 24-hour curfew is now in force throughout the state," Kaduna state police spokesman Aminu Lawan said, adding that security agents would ensure compliance.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of deadly attacks that have claimed more than 1,000 lives since mid-2009.