Twin blasts kill 51 in Nigeria

At least 51 people have been killed in a twin car bomb explosion in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri, emergency officials said.

The first bomb exploded a passenger car after which the second people exploded at a bustling marketplace in the northeastern city.

Many of those killed had run to the scene to attend to the wounded from the first explosion.

Officials confirmed that the explosion wounded scores of people who have since been hospitalised.

However, reports have stated that many more people are believed to be trapped in rubble from explosions.

The attack in the birthplace of the armed group Boko Haram is the latest in a string of deadly assaults to hit the West African country.   Boko Haram, blamed for widespread violence in the north east, did not claim responsibility for the attack.

The attack is a major setback to a new army and air force offensive against the Boko Haram uprising under new commanders since President Goodluck Jonathan fired his entire military command.

Since then, criticism and anger have grown as attacks by the armed group have increased and become ever deadlier. More than 300 people were killed in February alone.

The Defencee Ministry has blamed recent attacks on fighters escaping from daily aerial bombardments and ground assaults aimed at flushing them out of forest hideouts and mountain caves along the border with Cameroon.