Suspected Boko Haram female suicide bomber 'kills one' at teacher training college in Nigeria

The attack is the second at an educational institute in a week

A man claiming to be the leader of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau

A female suicide bomber detonated a bomb at a teacher training college in Nigeria's north western Niger State on Wednesday, reportedly killing at least one person according to police and witnesses.

The bomber struck the school in Kontagora at around midday, two days after a suicide bomber dressed as a student killed at least 48 secondary school pupils at a morning assembly in the north eastern town of Potsikum.

In today’s attack, the bomber blew herself up as she entered the library at the Federal College of Education.

“The female suicide bomber blew herself up before reaching her target,” said a police spokesman.

Student Samson Kazah told Reuters that he saw at least one other body and the explosion wounded one of his friends.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for either attack. However, the incident shares characteristics with previous incidents by the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram who have declared a caliphate in areas in the north east.

In the past, the group opposed to a Western-style education has recruited female suicide bombers to target schools.

In light of recent violent attacks in Nigeria's north east, President Goodluck Jonathan promised on Tuesday to defeat Boko Haram as he announced he would stand for a second term in February elections.

Relative unknowns when they launched an insurgency in 2009, the group gained mainstream international attention in April when it kidnapped 276 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, northeast Nigeria. Although dozens managed to escape early on, 219 remain missing.

In a video released last week, a man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau - thought killed a year ago - said the girls had converted to Islam and had been married off.