Ethnic tension in student election may have played a role in massacre at polytechnic in northeast Nigeria
Ethnic tension may have played a role in killing of 26 people at polytechnic in Nigeria
One by one, the gunmen called out the names of students of a mixed Christian and Muslim polytechnic in northeast Nigeria before shooting them or slitting their throats.
When they were done, 26 people were dead, including 22 students, two guards and a retired soldier.
The motive for the early morning attack at the off-campus student housing complex for the polytechnic in the town of Mubi was unclear. But some officials suggested the massacre may have been linked to a recent student election.
The military in Mubi last week carried out a high-profile raid against Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, which has been waging a deadly insurgency.
A police spokesman, Mohammed Ibrahim, said 19 of the slain students were from Federal Polytechnic Mubi, while three were from a nearby health technology school.
A relief official said 15 were wounded and taken to hospital. The military had taken over the area in the town, located near the border with Cameroon.