A bomb blast at a public health college in Nigeria’s second city of Kano killed at least eight people on Monday, in the latest violence to hit an area repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram.

A bomb blast at a public health college in Nigeria's second city of Kano killed at least eight people on Monday, in the latest violence to hit an area repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram.

Body parts, burnt-out vehicles and pools of blood were visible at the bomb site on the grounds of the School of Hygiene, which lies near the heart of the ancient northern city, an AFP reporter said.

It was not yet clear who carried out the attack but initial suspicion fell on Boko Haram, the extremists who have bombed many educational targets during a five-year uprising.

"So far 20 were taken to hospital and of that eight have been confirmed dead," Kano state police chief Aderele Shinaba told journalists at the scene.

A man believed to have planted the bomb, which went off at around 1 pm (1200 GMT), has been arrested and his car impounded, according to Shinaba.

The explosion came from a parking lot near the office of the school's provost, and while there were no classes on campus because of a term break, new students were reportedly on the grounds for registration.

Access to the area was being tightly restricted by the military who had deployed in large numbers around the college, causing massive traffic build-up in the congested city.