JOSEPHINE KAMARA: “Right now, I’m standing in front of the UN building, Joe and I see the front part of the main UN building. There are shattered windows. Hardly any of the windows are left standing. This building is about three floors, plus the ground floor, making it four floors. All the way up to the top floor, there’s shattered windows, there’s debris. There are mangos, iron rods all over the place. And I see a lot of the UN staffers’ family members are standing out here. Also, it looks like the entire Abuja police force has actually come to the UN building, standing here, trying to get casualties out. Those that are badly hurt have been taken to the hospital.”

In a statement, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the attack, "barbaric, senseless and cowardly." He said his government remains committed to fighting terrorism.

President Obama also called it a "horrific and cowardly attack."

At UN headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon spoke to the Security Council.

BAN KI-MOON: "Around eleven o'clock this morning local time, the UN house in the Nigeria capital, Abuja, was struck by a car bomb. These buildings house twenty-six humanitarian and development agencies of the UN family. This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others. We condemn this terrible act utterly."

The secretary-general warned that UN offices are increasingly at risk of attacks like the bombing in Abuja.