ABUJA, May 2 — Nine people were killed yesterday after a suspected car bomb exploded on the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital Abuja, Reuters reported.

The explosion comes a week before the city is set to host a summit of leaders and business executives focused on Africa’s growth prospects.

A crowd gathers at the scene of a bomb blast at a bus terminal in Nyayan, Abuja April 14, 2014. Another bomb blast at a bus station nearby killed nine people yesterday. — Reuters pic
A crowd gathers at the scene of a bomb blast at a bus terminal in Nyayan, Abuja April 14, 2014. Another bomb blast at a bus station nearby killed nine people yesterday. — Reuters pic

According to a witness, a car full of explosives drove close to a checkpoint. A man reportedly jumped out of the car and ran away as the vehicle exploded. The blast was just 200m away from the scene of a 14 April explosion at a bus station that killed at least 70 people.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

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According to Reuters, “the April 14 attack was claimed by the radical Islamist movement Boko Haram, which is waging an insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.”

Boko Haram‘s fighters have killed more than 1,500 civilians in three states in north-east Nigeria this year, BBC reported. — Reuters