At least 26 killed in Nigeria school massacre

Get short URL

Published time: October 02, 2012 16:24
Edited time: October 28, 2012 18:48

An undated picture released on the internet site of the Mubi Federal Polytechnic school shows the entrance of the premises in Mubi, northeast Nigeria. Gunmen who opened fire in a student housing area near a polytechnic school in the northeastern Nigerian city of Mubi on October 2, 20112 killed more than 10 people, a Red Cross official told AFP. (AFP Photo)

Tags

Africa, Conflict, Crime, Nigeria, Religion

Gunmen opened fire on students in a northeast Nigerian college, shooting some of them dead and stabbing others. Police say an Islamist extremist group could be behind the attack, but are also looking into possible links with student union elections.

Local sources say the attackers mainly targeted students who live in rented accommodation outside the campus of the Federal Polytechnic in Mubi.

The massacre is being blamed on Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, but officials say they do not rule out the possibility of political rivalry between college groups ahead of student union elections.

The town of Mubi is located in Nigeria's troubled northeast which has seen such violence previously, including January when gunmen killed at least 12 people.

Boko Haram is seeking an Islamic state in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north. The country's military said last week they had killed a senior Boko Haram leader and arrested 156 suspected members of the group in a raid in Mubi.

The town is located near the city of Maiduguri in neighboring Borno state, which is considered the base of the group. Boko Haram is accused of killing more than 1,400 Nigerians since 2010.

Mubi is located in Adamawa state 647 km east of the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Comments (6)

Ibarruri 03.10.2012 18:30

No one else places obstacles to friendship amongst muslim and christian peoples but imperialism. Nigeria is but one outpost of the developing consequences of the demonisation of Islam by the imperialist West who are bent on diverting the attention of its populace from the inability to cater for it.

Undo

Lata 03.10.2012 09:14

Killing innocent civilians is not religion, it is barbarianism or cannibalism. If this is what Islam is, I will never ever be a muslim.

Undo

sa-sha 03.10.2012 07:09

Religious clashes (muslims vs christians) are permanent in Nigeria, alas. When I worked in Nigeria (~3years; Lagos, Zaria, Kaduna, Jos, Kano), I was the eye-witness of such events. I can't say for sure, but it seems that they are specially instigated by the certain forces. Who is behind the veil? I don't know
for sure, but the muslim extremists' (not Boko Haram only) hand is in action,
no doubt for me.

Undo

View all comments (6)