Suicide bomber wreaks havoc in Nigeria market

Abuja, Nov 17: A female suicide bomber wreaked havoc at a local market in Nigeria's northeastern state of Bauchi on Sunday, witnesses said.

No official casualties have been given but witnesses said more than eight bodies, including the mangled body of the suspected suicide bomber, had been evacuated from the scene of the incident in Azaure town of Bauchi, Xinhua reported.

"Bodies of the casualties were taken to the Federal Medical Centre in the town," said a witness named Abdullahi Ahmed.

He said more than a dozen people were seriously injured in the attack at the weekly market, one of the biggest in the town.

The suspected female bomber detonated her explosive devices at the market square while buying and selling was at its peak at exactly 5 p.m. on Sunday, said another witness identified as Shehu Usman.

Security operatives despatched to the area had immediately cordoned off the area, Usman added.

The attack occurred five days after a female suicide bomber blew herself up at the Federal College of Education in Kontagora area of Niger state, located in central Nigeria.

Recent attacks in Nigeria are blamed on Boko Haram, a terror group, which has proved to be a major security threat in Africa's most populous country.

The violent attacks by Boko Haram, spanning five years, have claimed thousands of lives, including those of women and children.