Nigerians mark Easter amid mourning, fear

Lagos — Nigerians are marking Easter with heightened security against a spreading Islamic uprising, mourning the deaths of 75 bomb blast victims and fearful of the fate of 85 abducted schoolgirls.

The homegrown terrorist network Boko Haram on Saturday claimed responsibility for last week's rush-hour explosion at a busy bus station in the capital, Abuja, and threatened more attacks.

At church services around the country on Sunday, Nigerians mourned victims of four attacks in three days last week.

But while police officers guarded strategic points and searched cars in Abuja, there was no security at the remote northeastern town where more than 100 students were kidnapped hours after Monday's bomb blast.

The attacks undermine government and military claims that the Islamic uprising is being contained in the extreme northeast of the country.