The first explosion ripped through St Theresa Catholic Church in Madala on the outskirts of the capital Abuja.642-651
Rescue workers recovered at least 25 bodies from the church, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema).
The bombings were apparently the work of the sect known as Boko Haram, which is believed to be responsible for at least 491 killings this year alone.
Nema spokesman Yushau Shuaib said: “The evacuation exercise is still going on as military personnel provide security cover to rescue officers providing humanitarian services due to the tension in the area from an angry crowd.
“We are presently there, evacuating the dead and the injured but unfortunately we don’t have enough ambulances.
“Most of our ambulances have gone to operate on the major highways of the country.”
It was followed by another blast near the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church, 150 miles away in the city of Jos. There were also explosions in the nation’s north east.
A police officer was killed when gunmen opened fire on officers guarding the area around the Jos bombing, a government spokesman said.
Two other locally made explosives were found in a nearby building and disarmed, he added.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague voiced his concern about the “cowardly attacks on families gathered in peace and prayer”.
“I condemn today’s bomb attacks in or near churches in Nigeria,” he said. “These are cowardly attacks on families gathered in peace and prayer to celebrate a day which symbolises harmony and goodwill towards others.
“I offer my condolences to the bereaved and injured.”
Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the August suicide bombing of the UN HQ in Abuja that killed at least 24 people.
The sect wants to introduce strict Shariah law across Nigeria, an oil-rich nation of more than 160 million people.
The north of the country is predominantly Muslim, while the south has a mainly Christian population.642-648
The Jos area, where north meets south, is mixed.