Josephine Adeh, Police Spokesperson for the Territory of Abuja, said the incident happened at Tsangagyar Sani Uthman Islamiyya School, in a village near Abuja.

According to investigations, three men from the northern state of Katsina who visited the school were suspected to have brought an improvised explosive device.

"Tragically, two of the men died in the explosion while tampering with the improvised explosive device (IED), on the school veranda, while the third man and a female trader sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment under police guard," Adeh said.

"The FCT Bomb Squad has confirmed that it was an IED explosion, as remnants of the device have been recovered."

It was not immediately clear if there were students at the school. Schools in Abuja were expected to reopen for a new term on January 13 although Islamic schools sometimes use different calendars.

--Reuters--