Boko Haram shoot dead 40 students in night attack

No fewer than 40 students were shot dead yesterday by men believed to be Boko Haram terrorists in an attack on a school hostel in Yobe State.
The students of College of Agriculture, Gujba, 40 kilometres from Damaturu the state capital, were asleep when the agents of death stole into their hostel. It was one of the most horrific attacks ever carried out on defenceless people by the insurgents.
The gunmen also set the school buildings on fire as they retreated after the attack.
The attackers numbering about 30 drove into the school around 1:30am and moved straight to the students hostel where they assembled them in various groups and opened fire on them.
“They ar
rived at the school around 1:00am.
We thought they were security personnel on surveillance, but they later invaded Admin Hostel and beat up the victims outside the hostel and opened fire on them,” Ibrahim, a survivor, said.
An employee of the College, Musa Amadu, said the gunmen stormed the college in Toyota Hilux trucks, Volkswagen Golf cars and motorcycles, killing the students, after closing all the gates to prevent them from escaping.
He said about 18 students were abducted by the attackers. Others hid in the ceilings, Amadu said. He said the gunmen ordered the students not to flee before shooting them in the three-hour attack.
Governor Ibrahim Gaidam wept on seeing the bodies of the slain students with gun shot wounds on various parts of their bodies at mortuary. There was also a picture of the victims packed in a truck, their bodies drenched in blood.
Damaturu Specialist Hospital Medical Director Dr Garba Fika confirmed that 40 students were killed.
He told the governor who visited the hospital that five students, including three with fractures, one with bullet wound and another with abdominal injury, were at the hospital.