ABUJA, Nigeria — Muslim and Christian clerics converged with mourners and sympathizers at the Emab plaza blast site in Wuse 2 Abuja for an interfaith prayer session. The congregation gathered around the epicenter of the bombing on Wednesday 25th June, which killed over 20 people and injured several others still being treated at hospitals in Abuja. Many of the victims of the blast were petty traders, including fruit sellers, hawkers, taxi drivers and customers who come to the plaza to transact business. The plaza has since been closed as security agencies carry out investigation in the aftermath of the blast. The trader’s union of most shop owners at the plaza with the proprietor of the plaza organized the prayers session as a healing process for the immediate community that suffered the bombing. The Imam of the Usman Bin Alfan mosque, which is opposite the plaza led in Muslim prayers and the Reverend of the Saint Mathews Anglican Church Maitama, also close to the plaza led in Christian prayers. In a sermon during the prayers session, Imam Zakaria Hussien said, “we have gathered here to pray to Allah to bless and have mercy on the innocent lives that were perished without knowing the reason why they were killed.” He added that, “We are also gathered here to pray to Allah to increase the pace of wellness for those who have sustained injuries and also to ...      Read more