- Title: NIGERIA: At least eight killed, 20 wounded in blast at Nigerian college
- Date: 23rd June 2014
- Summary: KANO, NIGERIA (JUNE 23, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) DAMAGED CAR VARIOUS FOOTWEAR LUGGAGE ON A SEAT SIGN READING: "DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING" (SOUNDBITE) (English) USMAN YAHAYA, STUDENT, SAYING: "We had bomb blast in the school and at least 23 students are injured while 13 they are already dead and also altogether we have about 33 students that is dead, altogether." VARIOUS OF BLOODSTAINS/FOOTWEAR ON THE GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Hausa) SHEHU SANI, STUDENT, SAYING: "We were here when the bomb exploded; I have seen dead bodies and lifted many injured to the hospital. It took 15 minutes before the arrival of the Joint Task Force, many people were in pieces, we also believed that this explosion is a set up because no vehicle is allowed to enter the school if the owner is not a staff member." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING ON SECURITY OPERATIVES STANDING AT THE ENTRANCE 10. SECURITY CARS PARKED ABUJA, NIGERIA (JUNE 23, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SEATED VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL ORIENTATION AGENCY, MIKE OMERI, SAYING: "At about 2 pm this afternoon there was an explosion at Kano state school of hygiene located in Kano municipal city area of Sabon Kofar. The explosive was planted within the school compound close to the road by a yet to be identified person. Eight persons are so far confirmed dead while scores of others are wounded and presently receiving treatment." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS LISTENING WIDE OF NEWSER
- Embargoed: 8th July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Crime,Conflict,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAEFVM13XOJU167AU8XDU0D80F0
- Story Text: An explosion tore through a state college in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on Monday, killing at least eight people, a security source said.
At least eight people were killed and 20 wounded by an explosion at a college campus in the heart of the northern Nigerian city of Kano during school hours on Monday (June 23), police said.
It was not immediately clear if Islamist militants were behind the explosion. Bombings and attacks by armed insurgents now happen almost daily in Nigeria's north, where militant group Boko Haram is trying to carve out an Islamist state.
The blast at the Kano State School of Hygiene tore through an area just inside the college's main gate, a popular spot where students often gather at food kiosks between classes.
Police took one suspect in for questioning, state police commissioner Adenrele Shinaba told reporters. The blast was so severe that several cars parked nearby were badly damaged, he said.
Witnesses said the blast caused people working in central Kano to flee the city centre.
Students at the school told of their experiences.
"We had bomb blast in the school and at least 23 students are injured while 13 they are already dead and also altogether we have about 33 students that is dead, altogether," said Usman Yahaya, a student at Kano State School of Hygiene.
"We were here when the bomb exploded; I have seen dead bodies and lifted many injured to the hospital. It took 15 minutes before the arrival of the Joint Task Force, many people were in pieces, we also believed that this explosion is a set up because no vehicle is allowed to enter the school if the owner is not a staff member," Shehu Sani, another student said.
Addressing journalists hours after the blast, director general, National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri disclosed the death toll.
"At about 2 pm this afternoon there was an explosion at Kano state school of hygiene located in Kano municipal city area of Sabon Kofar. The explosive was planted within the school compound close to the road by a yet to be identified person. Eight persons are so far confirmed dead while scores of others are wounded and presently receiving treatment," the director said.
Boko Haram gained global attention in April when it abducted more than 200 girls from a rural school in northeast Nigeria.
Kano, the north's largest city, was hit by unrest earlier this month when hundreds of youths took to the streets against a decision to appoint Nigeria's former central bank governor as the country's second-highest Islamic authority.
Last month a suicide car bomber killed five people on a Kano street lined with popular bars and restaurants, in an area mostly inhabited by southern Christians. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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