At least 150 people died in a "heinous" wave of gun and bomb attacks in northern Nigeria that were on Saturday claimed by the Boko Haram group.

At least 150 people died in a "heinous" wave of gun and bomb attacks in northern Nigeria that were on Saturday claimed by the Boko Haram group.

President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the assaults which officials said included at least five suicide bomb blasts and "directed security agencies to ensure the arrest of perpetrators of these heinous acts," said a statement from his spokesman Reuben Abati.

As corpses piled up in the morgue, a rescue agency official said the body count stood at 150.

"I was involved in the evacuation of corpses to the morgue. I personally counted 150 bodies," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at the hospital.

The 15-nation UN Security Council released a statement saying it "condemned in the strongest terms" the attacks in Nigeria. The council expressed condolences to the families.

A member of Nigeria's Boko Haram sect on Saturday claimed responsibility.

"We are responsible for the attack in (northeastern) Borno (state) and Damaturu," Abul Qaqa told media sources by phone.

"We will continue attacking federal government formations until security forces stop persecuting our members and vulnerable civilians," Qaqa warned.

The Friday bomb and gun attacks targeted police stations, an army base and churches in the cities of Damaturu, Maiduguri and two other small towns.

Jonathan's spokesman said the attacks had forced him to skip his brother's wedding which took place in his village in southern Nigeria on Saturday.

The military deployed to curb the violence in Maiduguri said there were four suicide bomb attacks in parts of the city, including an army base and on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

The group bombed their targets then took on the security forces in gun battles in Damaturu. Residents said gunfire rang out for several hours across the city after the explosions.

A journalist described scenes of chaos and destruction in Damaturu.

"In fact, Damaturu is looking just like Libya... burnt cars and buildings."

In the neighborhood of Damaturu called Jerusalem, six churches were bombed in addition to a police station.

The string of attacks came two days ahead of the annual celebration of Eid al-Adha – “Feast of Sacrifice.”

Police have been placed on red alert nationwide.

Militants from Boko Haram have in the past targeted police and military, community and religious leaders, as well as politicians.

The sect staged an uprising which was brutally put down by security forces in 2009.