Sleeping students shot dead in rampage at college in Nigeria

Suspected Islamist militants stormed a college in northeastern Nigeria and shot dead about 40 male students, some of them while they slept, early yesterday.

The gunmen, thought to be members of rebel sect Boko Haram, attacked one hostel, took some students outside before killing them and shot others trying to flee, witnesses said.

"They started gathering students into groups outside, then they opened fire and killed one group and then moved onto the next group and killed them. It was so terrible," said one student who survived.

Ahmed Gujunba, a taxi driver who lives near the college, said: "They came with guns at about 1am and went directly to the male hostel and opened fire on them.

"The college is in the bush, so the other students were running around helplessly as guns went off and some of them were shot down."

Bodies were recovered from dormitories, classrooms and outside in the undergrowth, a member of staff at the college said.