NIGERIA: Twenty-six people are dead after an attack on a university hall of residence in northern Nigeria

Record ID: 235784

  • Title: NIGERIA: Twenty-six people are dead after an attack on a university hall of residence in northern Nigeria
  • Date: 5th October 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNNAMED RESIDENT, SAYING: "So when I came out, I saw the cars. I entered the other house of my neighbours so they had entered the house and set one of the blocks on fire so fortunately, rain started falling and it stopped the room from burning. We went round, we saw about 26 corpses. They had been shot." VARIOUS OF BURNT CARS VARIOUS OF HEAP OF SAND COVERING BLOOD VARIOUS SECURITY OFFICERS SPEAKING WITH SUSPECT (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNNAMED EYE WITNESS, SAYING: "(OFF CAMERA: DAMAGED HOUSE) So they said if we are not coming out that they are going to burn us, so I'm looking at them, they went to the generator and poured fuel into a container, so they brought it and poured petrol all over, on the ground. They lit the first match, the light went off, then they lit another match, and everywhere caught fire, then they went outside and burnt the three cars outside." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS ABOARD BUSES ANXIOUS TO LEAVE VARIOUS OF BUS LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 20th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVABRY182JYXH60APSVONK42BRIQ
  • Story Text: Gunmen shot dead at least 26 students in an attack overnight on their college residence in northeast Nigeria, witnesses told Reuters on Wednesday (October 3).
    The attack took place at the Federal Polytechnic Mubi in the remote Adamawa state late on Monday night (October 1), the head of the information department at the college said by telephone.
    Witnesses said some people were shot, others were killed with machetes.
    "So when I came out, I saw the cars. I entered the other house of my neighbours so they had entered the house and set one of the blocks on fire so fortunately, rain started falling and it stopped the room from burning. We went round, we saw about 26 corpses. They had been shot," one unnamed resident.
    Adamawa state, like much of the north, has been targeted by Islamist insurgents, but police were also investigating whether the killings might have been motivated by a political feud inside the college.
    Officials said the student halls had been raided by police last week as part of a sweep against Boko Haram militants.
    During the raid, police recovered weapons including a rocket propelled grenade, dozens of homemade bombs, knives and automatic assault rifles. He added that it could not be ruled out that Boko Haram militants who had infiltrated the students who were behind it.
    But police were also investigating the possibility that the killings were related to a dispute between rival political groups at the college over a student union election on Sunday (September 30), in a part of Nigeria that is awash with weapons.
    Students boarded buses on Wednesday, eager to escape the violence in a country where many colleges are plagued by armed gangs and vigilante groups.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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