At least 25 people have been killed by an explosion outside a church in the Nigerian capital during Christmas celebrations, according to a relief worker.
Witnesses have also reported a second attack and loud explosions in the central town of Jos, according to the Reuters news agency.
Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the scene of the attack, said the attacker used an improvised explosive device after failing to gain access to the church.
A relief worker told Idris at least 25 bodies were removed from the carnage. The source added that six of the bodies had been mutilated..
"I am standing near a huge crater left in the road. The damage to structures and buildings can be seen from 150m away. The church and surrounding shops and homes were also damaged," said Idris.
"At least eight cars and two motorcycles were burnt beyond recognition."
The explosion at St Theresa Church on Christmas morning was confirmed by Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency of the blast in the Madalla area.
People were inside the church at the time of the blast, but Shuaib could not initially determine how many.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Felix Onuah, a Nigerian journalist said emergency workers were trying to evacuate the injured from the area where a Christmas procession and service had been in progress.
A government official says a second explosion has also struck near a church, this time targeting a congregation in the central Nigerian city of Jos.
Pam Ayuba, a government spokesman, told The Associated Press the blast struck Sunday near the Mountain of Fire Church.
Ayuba said gunshots followed the blast and at least one police officer was wounded but no other details about the blast and its cause were available.
There was no immediately claim of responsibility for either explosion, but Nigeria has suffered a wave of sectarian attacks blamed on a hard liner group known as Boko Haram.
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