Abuja, Aug 1 (IANS): At least 16 people were killed and 20 others injured after a deadly explosion at a local night market in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno late Wednesday, police said Thursday.

The deadly explosion followed the detonation of an improvised explosive device, allegedly by the Boko Haram terror group, at a marketplace in Kawuri, a town in the Kondauga local government area of the state, Yusuf Lawan, the police chief in Borno, told Xinhua news agency by telephone Thursday morning.

Lawan said a team of police personnel was immediately deployed to the scene to cordon off the area from further explosions while restoring normalcy.

Following the deadly explosion, the police have imposed a 24-hour curfew across the state, said Nahum Daso, a spokesman for the police in Borno, in a separate statement.

"The curfew is a measure to prevent further loss of lives and property and to allow security agencies to maintain control and ensure public safety," he said, adding that residents were expected to stay indoors and avoid "any unnecessary movements during the curfew period."