Abuja blast hits Nigeria police headquarters

"The police force headquarters has been bombed, everywhere is bombed," deputy police spokesman Yemi Ajayi told AFP.

An emergency official said a suspected suicide bomber had died in the blast.

A Red Cross worker told Reuters other bodies were being evacuated from the scene, from where a large plume of smoke can been seen rising. No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, Islamist group Boko Haram has recently been targeting police and government officials.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Lagos says for the Nigerian authorities, the attack is an embarrassing strike at the very heart of their security establishment.

Officials say the explosion took place in the car park of the police headquarters.

"A suspected suicide bomber died in the incident. Many vehicles were destroyed," Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency told the AFP news agency.

Residents say the explosion was heard across the city.

For full version go to www.bbc.co.uk