At least 18 people have been killed and dozens of others injured in two explosions near Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, authorities say.

The explosions happened “almost simultaneously” at about 22:30 local time (2130 GMT) on Friday, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement.

NEMA said a coordinated rescue operation was launched at the scene of multiple explosions in Nyaya and Kuje, which are satellite towns of Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

"The death toll is now 18 .... while 41 others were injured and are receiving treatment in the hospitals," NEMA spokesman Sani Datti said.

The first blast hit near a police station in the city of Kuje, 40 kilometers from Abuja, while the second struck a bus stop in the central town of Nyanya on Friday.

No group has claimed the attacks yet, but the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group is usually behind such assaults.

Last year, two separate attacks at the same bus station in Nyanya killed 90 people.

Over 17,000 people have been reportedly killed since Boko Haram began its militancy several years ago. Attacks by the group have intensified since Muhammadu Buhari became president in May, vowing to defeat the group.

Security forces this year managed to reclaim most of the territory captured by Boko Haram and freed a number of people abducted by the militant group.