Gunmen stage deadly attack on Nigeria market.

Gunmen suspected to be members of the armed Boko Haram group have stormed the northeast

Nigerian town of Gajiran, opening fire in a market and killing 15 people, the AFP news agency reported.

Borno state in the northeast, where the latest violence occurred, is a Boko Haram stronghold and has seen a spate of similar attacks on locals in recent weeks.

Residents of Gajiran, speaking to journalists in the state capital Maiduguri, said the gunmen involved in Thursday's attack pretended to be traders attending a local market.

"Some of them came aboard trucks while others came on foot to beat the security checks at the entrance of the town," resident Ibrahim Bulama said.

They then "blended among traders conducting business", before opening fire in the market, killing 15 people, he told reporters.

They also set fire to a local government building and a police post, he said.

Aisami Yusuf, another local speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, also put the death toll at 15 and provided a similar account.

Gajiran is roughly 85km from the state capital.

Courtesy; AFP