Female Child Suicide Bomber Kills 10 People In Yobe State

A young female suicide bomber is reported to have killed at least 10 people in Gujba in Yobe state.

A witness said the girl, who detonated explosives in the town of Gujba in Yobe state, was about 12 years old. Another 20 people were injured in the blast.

Earlier this year, the Nigerian army seized Gujba from the militant group Boko Haram.

The Islamist group has not commented on the attack but it is known for carrying out such bombings.

Some 18,000 people have been killed in Nigeria since the group began a campaign of violence in 2009.

"It was a suicide attack by a girl of around 12 years," said witness Hussaini Aisami.

"She went into the market and headed straight to the grain section. She detonated her explosives in the middle of traders and customers."

The attack happened at about 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

It came a day after two female suicide bombers attacked the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, killing at least 20 people.

And in January, at least 19 people were killed by a bomb strapped to a girl aged about 10 in Maiduguri.

Maiduguri is where Boko Haram first emerged, and the Nigerian military has recently begun moving its headquarters from the capital Abuja to the city.