Girl suicide bomber kills 10 in Nigeria

A girl aged about 10 has blown herself up at a market in northeast Nigeria, killing 19 other people.

At least 16 Nigerian towns and villages have been razed in the latest Boko Haram attacks. (AAP)

A suicide bomb attack by a girl thought to be as young as 10 in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri has killed 19 people, police say.

Borno State police spokesman Gideon Jubrin told reporters: "Casualty figure: 20 dead and 18 injured, including the female suicide bomber that detonated the improvised explosive device."

The blast happened at about 12.40pm local time near the live chicken section of the Monday Market in the Borno State capital, which was targeted twice in a week by female bombers late last year.