Child bomber kills 4 in market

A child suicide bomber under 10 blew herself up at a busy market in the northeastern Nigerian town of Potiskum, killing four others and seriously wounding 46 people, a witness and hospital records show.

The girl who appeared got out of a tricycle taxi in front of a mobile phone shop and detonated her explosives on Potiskum’s main market day, according to survivor Anazumi Saleh, who suffered injuries to his head.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attack bears all the signs of similar bombings by Boko Haram and raises fears that Nigeria’s home-grown Islamic extremists are using kidnap victims as bombers.

Meanwhile, a new group releasing propaganda for Boko Haram denied a Nigeria ministry of defence statement that troops seized back the border garrison town of Baga.

It comes amid reports that military from Nigeria and neighbouring Chad are retaking towns and villages held for months by Boko Haram even as the extremists attack other north-eastern communities. Scores of civilians have been killed in such attacks in recent days.