Suicide Bomber Kills 48 Students in Nigeria
A suicide bomb attack in a school in east Nigeria killed 48 students and left 79 injured, Monday.
The students had gathered for the morning assembly at their school in Potiskum in Yobe state.
The officials hold the Boko Haram extremist group responsible for the attack. "There was an explosion detonated by a suicide bomber. We have 47 dead and 79 injured," national police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said, adding that Boko Haram was believed to be responsible, reports AFP.
The Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School follows a western curriculum, which is banned by the Boko Haram.
Several witnesses described the blast as 'thunderous' with the place littered with bloody bags and blood spattered footwear, reports the AFP.
A student described to the BBC the scene of mutilated bodies of his fellow students.
"My brother, a student in the school, died in the blast. He was about 16 years old... We buried him at about 11:00am [10:00 GMT] today, " a victim's relative told BBC.
"The government needs to be more serious about the fight against Boko Haram because it is getting out of control," he added.
The blast comes in the wake of the release of a video by Boko Haram where the leader Abubakar Shekau rejected all overtures of a truce by the Nigerian government.
Potiskum has been under attack by the Boko haram militants earlier also. Last week another bomb attack killed 15 people in the town.
The governor of Yobe state, Ibrahim Gaidam ordered the immediate closure of all public schools in the Potiskum area, he blamed the Abuja government t in Abuja for failing to tackle the insurgency, reports AFP.
"Urgent action must be taken right now to restore a fast-waning public confidence by doing whatever it takes to stop the escalating violence," he said in a statement.
Eastern Nigeria has been under constant attack by the insurgents who have been targeting schools imparting western education. In April, 200 girls were abducted from the region and despite concerted efforts including by international governments, authorities have been unable to locate them.
