Dozens killed in Nigeria blast

At least 20 people were killed after a bomb exploded in the northern Nigerian city of Zaria in Kaduna state. Regional governor Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai posted the news on Twitter:

The explosion occurred at around 9:00 a.m. local time (0800 UTC) at a government office where primary school teachers and government employees were queuing up for identity checks, witnesses said.

There were fears that the death toll could rise.

El-Rufai asked people to be vigilant and avoid crowded places and to report any suspicious people they happened to see. He said his government was working towards nabbing terrorists.

No organization had claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government suspected Boko Haram militants, who had carried out such violent acts in the past. The orthodox Muslim group has intensified its strikes on civilians after President Muhammed Buhari assumed office in May this year.

The attack in Zaria, a Muslim-majority city, follows a series of attacks in the last few days in northern Nigeria.

On Monday, a 13-year-old suicide bomber was killed when explosive strapped to her body detonated in Kano, close to Zaria. 44 people were killed in twin attacks on a mosque in Jos and in a church in Potiskum, also in northern Nigeria, on Sunday.

mg/jil (AFP, Reuters)