The police in Kano State on Friday said 35 persons died in the three explosions at the Central Mosque in Kano metropolis on Friday.
But this claim is coming in the face of conflicting figures of the bomb explosions that occurred during the weekly Jumat prayers.
Sources at both the mosque and hospitals where the dead and injured were taken to put the figure of the dead at between 120 and 200.
While Vanguard newspaper at about 10pm on Friday put the casualty figure at 120, Reuters quoted a source as claiming the figure was as high as 200.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Sanusi Lemu, however said on 35 persons died in the explosions that was followed by massive gunshots by the attackers.
Lemu said 150 persons sustained injuries in the three blasts “which occurred in different places around the vicinity of the mosque”.
According to him, the incident happened when many people converged on the mosque for the Friday congregational prayers at about 2pm.
He said security had been beefed up in the area while investigation had since commenced.
Lemu said the injured persons had been taken to hospitals for treatment, while the corpses had been deposited at the morgue.
Lemu urged the people in the state to continue to be very vigilant and report any suspected persons to the security agencies for immediate action.
An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria earlier that three persons suspected to be connected with the explosives were burnt to death.
“This was after one of the suspected suicide bombers detonated the bomb from the vehicle he was driving,” the source said.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around the mosque close to the Emir’s Palace in the city.