Three killed, 21 wounded by explosive device thrown from car at election rally in Nigeria

Three people were killed and 21 injured by an explosive device thrown from a car at an election rally near Nigeria's capital Abuja on Thursday.

According to police, the device missed the center of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) rally in the town of Suleja, on the northwestern edge of Abuja, but landed close to where street traders were working.

"Some people in a moving vehicle threw an explosive at a rally organized by the PDP in Suleja," national police spokesman Olusola Amore told Reuters. "Unfortunately for them, the explosive missed the (center) of the rally and exploded where women and other hawkers were selling things. Three people were killed on the spot and 21 wounded," he said.

The attack happened after the main program at the rally had come to an end, said Yushua Shuaib, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). He said the injured had been rushed to hospital.

Africa's most populous nation holds presidential, parliamentary and state governorship polls in April and the main candidates in all three sets of elections have been holding campaign rallies around the country.