Police in central Nigeria say two men were killed Sunday when a bomb they were carrying on a motorcycle exploded prematurely.
Plateau state police commissioner Abdulrahman Akano told reporters that the bomb went off as the men drove through the city of Jos, a scene of frequent Muslim-Christian violence.
Akano says the two men were killed by the blast. He says Christian youths who believed the men had planned to attack their community then set fire to the corpses.
Some earlier reports said the bomb went off near a church, but Akano said it was not known where the two men were headed.
Jos has experienced years of sectarian violence stemming from disputes over land, jobs, and power. Thousands have been killed in recurring battles between gangs of Muslims and Christians.
The latest wave of attacks began with bombings on Christmas Eve (December 24) that killed several dozen people.
Jos sits in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, where the mainly Muslim north meets the predominantly Christian south.
Violence across central and northern Nigeria has risen with the approach of nationwide elections next month.
Bomb Kills Would-Be Bombers In Central Nigeria
