Suicide bomber, three students Killed, 14 wounded
Residents combined with the students of College of Administration and Business Studies in Potiskum, Yobe State to apprehend one of the terror attackers on the school, which left a suicide bomber and three students were feared killed in an attack on the school.
Fourteen other students sustained injuries during the blast from the suicide bomber and subsequent gunfire.
Reports indicate that the attack took place at about 8 am.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Marcus Danladi, was reported to have said there was a “blast and sporadic shootings” by suspected Boko Haram bombers and three other gunmen at the college.
He confirmed that a suspect was in the police net after residents and some volunteer students gave him a hot chase and handed him over for further interrogations.
He also confirmed the injury of the 17 students in the blast and shootings, and death of three of gunshot wounds on their way to the Federal MedicalvCentre (FMC), Nguru for treatment.
Salihu Ibrahim, a resident of Potiskum, was quoted to have said in a report by The Guardian, that the attacks began at about 8.15am when one of the gunmen in disguise, pretended to be urinating at the gate and started shooting sporadically at students in classrooms.
“Two minutes after the shootings, one of the suicide bombers detonated an Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) strapped to his back at the college car park, before many students tarted to scamper for safety over the fence and rear exists,” said Ibrahim in a telephone chat.
“All the injured have been taken to Nguru Hospital for treatment. Our volunteer youths were able to arrest one of the suicide bombers and handed him over to the military and Police for further investigations,” added Ibrahim.
The papaer also cited another source as saying that efforts were made to get hold of the bomber whose ammunitions were noticed to be running after prolonged shootings, but to avoid being caught red handed, he detonated the IED he was carrying, killing himself in the process.
“I strongly commend the people who stood resolute during the attack in an effort to catch him red handed after noticing his ammunition was running out”, the source added.
Another source said a second bomb exploded in the college dormitory, but caused little damage, as the students apparently were already in classrooms.
This is the insurgents’ first school attack since a multinational offensive drove them out of towns and villages they seized last year.
About 40 students were killed when Boko Haram attacked the school last year. No group immediately claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack.
The Nigerian troops have mounted a strong campaign against the insurgents since February. And with help from neigbhourng countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroun, the military has successfully put the insurgents on the run, chasing them out of the communities and towns where thy had made their base.
