Suspected Bomb Maker Killed In Accidental Blast

A Nigerian suspected of building bombs to disrupt elections on Saturday was killed when one of the devices exploded prematurely, police in the northern city of Kaduna said on Friday.

In the election run-up, there have been isolated bomb attacks on campaign rallies, violence blamed on a radical sect in the remote northeast and sectarian clashes in the centre of a country roughly split between a Muslim north and Christian south.

Police said they had made 12 arrests after the explosion late on Thursday in a largely Christian neighbourhood of Kaduna, but did not identify any group behind the blast.

"We think they were planning something to disrupt the elections," said a senior police source who did not want to be identified. "We are still investigating".

Another man was hurt in the Kaduna blast and taken for questioning. Mohammed Ahmed, 25, told reporters the suspected bomber was a friend of his, but did not explain why he had a bomb. Ahmed did not admit taking part in any plot.

The parliamentary election on Saturday, delayed a week because of a logistical fiasco, is the first of three votes this month in Africa's most populous nation.

President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to win re-election on April 16. His candidacy is opposed by some in the north who wanted a candidate from the region. Jonathan took office a year ago after the death of the former president, a northerner.

Reuters.