At least 21 killed in Abuja bomb blasts todays

At least 21 people were killed and 17 injured when an explosion tore through a crowded shopping district in the Nigerian capital Abuja during rush hour on Wednesday, a police spokesman said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. Two witnesses at the scene said it shattered the glass of nearby stores and sent plumes of smoke billowing into the air.

The explosion rocked an area near the popular Banex Plaza shopping centre in the upscale Wuse 2 district, they said.

"After a preliminary investigation, we can confirm that 21 people were killed and 17 injured," police spokesman Frank Mba told reporters at the scene of the explosion.

"I heard a loud blast, it shattered the windows of the shop. We ran out. A lot of people ran too, some with blood stains," said Gimbya Jafaru, who was shopping nearby.