15 Killed, Dozens Injured in Explosions near Nigerian Capital

Local Editor

At least 15 people had been killed and dozens of others injured in two explosions near Nigeria's capital, Abuja, authorities said.

The explosions happened "almost simultaneously" at about 22:30 local time [2130 GMT] on Friday, Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency [NEMA] said in a statement.

"Following a coordinated rescue operation at scene of multiple explosions in both Nyaya and Kuje, which are satellite towns of Federal Capital Territory Abuja, so far 15 persons lost their lives and 41 injured," NEMA said.

The first blast hit near a police station in the city of Kuje, 40 kilometers from Abuja, while the second struck a bus stop in the central town of Nyanya on Friday.

"In Nyaya, two dead were recorded while 21 injured. In Kuje, 13 lost their lives and 20 injured," the agency said.

However, no group had claimed the attacks yet, but the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group is usually behind such assaults.

Last year, two separate attacks at the same bus station in Nyanya killed 90 people.

Over 17,000 people have been reportedly killed since Boko Haram began its militancy several years ago. Attacks by the group have intensified since Muhammadu Buhari became president in May, vowing to defeat the group.

Security forces this year managed to reclaim most of the territory captured by Boko Haram and freed a number of people abducted by the militant group.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team