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| Gunmen open fire on students at Nigerian university | Gunmen open fire on students at Nigerian university |
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| Scores of students were killed after gunmen burst into a university residence in north-eastern Nigeria hours after a disputed student union election led to rival gangs rampaging through the town. | Scores of students were killed after gunmen burst into a university residence in north-eastern Nigeria hours after a disputed student union election led to rival gangs rampaging through the town. |
| At least 32 students were shot or stabbed at Federal Polytechnic Mubi as armed union members attacked the residence during the night, a university official said. Residents said rival students killed the winner of the elections late on Sunday, then spread out in gangs across the town. | At least 32 students were shot or stabbed at Federal Polytechnic Mubi as armed union members attacked the residence during the night, a university official said. Residents said rival students killed the winner of the elections late on Sunday, then spread out in gangs across the town. |
| "They were going door to door to find their victims, but anybody in the wrong place at the wrong time could have been killed," said one student. The spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushau Shuaib, said in a statement: "The crisis in Mubi is suspected to have been fuelled by campus politics after an election at the [college]." | "They were going door to door to find their victims, but anybody in the wrong place at the wrong time could have been killed," said one student. The spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushau Shuaib, said in a statement: "The crisis in Mubi is suspected to have been fuelled by campus politics after an election at the [college]." |
| A student told Associated Press that students had recently found a warning, believed to have been written by members of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram, pasted on the gate of the female hostel in the campus ordering the authorities to evacuate the school. Mubi, in north-east Nigeria, has become awash with weapons and violence since Boko Haram began attacks there. More than 1,100 people have died in the group's battle to impose a strict interpretation of sharia law on Nigeria's 160-million strong population, evenly split between Muslims and Christians. | A student told Associated Press that students had recently found a warning, believed to have been written by members of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram, pasted on the gate of the female hostel in the campus ordering the authorities to evacuate the school. Mubi, in north-east Nigeria, has become awash with weapons and violence since Boko Haram began attacks there. More than 1,100 people have died in the group's battle to impose a strict interpretation of sharia law on Nigeria's 160-million strong population, evenly split between Muslims and Christians. |
| Security officials say top-ranking members have migrated to the town after sustained military crackdowns on the group's spiritual home in neighbouring Borno state. Last month, officials arrested 154 members while at least 30 people have died in attacks and shootouts there. | Security officials say top-ranking members have migrated to the town after sustained military crackdowns on the group's spiritual home in neighbouring Borno state. Last month, officials arrested 154 members while at least 30 people have died in attacks and shootouts there. |
| "Because of the situation with Boko Haram we didn't take risks and the army was deployed. There was an hour of gun battles during the night before the [union members] were driven back," a state security official told the Guardian. | "Because of the situation with Boko Haram we didn't take risks and the army was deployed. There was an hour of gun battles during the night before the [union members] were driven back," a state security official told the Guardian. |
| Security officials said a stash of explosives and other weapons, including brand new AK47s, submachine guns and poison-tip arrows, was discovered during a raid last month on a student residence used by Boko Haram. Another police sweep last week uncovered further piles of explosives and weapons. A dawn-to-dusk curfew had just been lifted as the latest violence erupted. | Security officials said a stash of explosives and other weapons, including brand new AK47s, submachine guns and poison-tip arrows, was discovered during a raid last month on a student residence used by Boko Haram. Another police sweep last week uncovered further piles of explosives and weapons. A dawn-to-dusk curfew had just been lifted as the latest violence erupted. |
| "It's getting scary," said a Mubi resident whose home overlooks a student union house. "These days the student unionists come with guns to protect themselves and they loan them to local thieves." | "It's getting scary," said a Mubi resident whose home overlooks a student union house. "These days the student unionists come with guns to protect themselves and they loan them to local thieves." |
| "People are fleeing to neighbouring villages. Some are going by foot; anything to escape," the resident added. | "People are fleeing to neighbouring villages. Some are going by foot; anything to escape," the resident added. |
| While student union elections often trigger violence, large-scale attacks are rare. "It is unheard of to have violence reaching these kind of disturbing levels. It's really hard to even secure a university place in Nigeria, so most times students wouldn't make this kind of trouble," a former union member said. "Most times it's people using mercenaries under the guise of unionism," he added. | While student union elections often trigger violence, large-scale attacks are rare. "It is unheard of to have violence reaching these kind of disturbing levels. It's really hard to even secure a university place in Nigeria, so most times students wouldn't make this kind of trouble," a former union member said. "Most times it's people using mercenaries under the guise of unionism," he added. |
| Sixteen students who were arrested in Mubi in September were released after two days of questioning, an official said. Across West Africa, student union leaders often wield enormous power in campuses amid strong links to local and national politicians. Campuses in neighbouring Ivory Coast shut down for months earlier this year in an attempt to wipe out heavily-armed union members whose feuds frequently led to deaths. Attacks from Boko Haram have subsided in recent months after military crackdowns. But the group released a video Monday in which fugitive leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatened to attack the wives of government officials in retaliation for the Nigerian government allegedly mistreating the wives of 10 sect members being detained with sect members. | Sixteen students who were arrested in Mubi in September were released after two days of questioning, an official said. Across West Africa, student union leaders often wield enormous power in campuses amid strong links to local and national politicians. Campuses in neighbouring Ivory Coast shut down for months earlier this year in an attempt to wipe out heavily-armed union members whose feuds frequently led to deaths. Attacks from Boko Haram have subsided in recent months after military crackdowns. But the group released a video Monday in which fugitive leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatened to attack the wives of government officials in retaliation for the Nigerian government allegedly mistreating the wives of 10 sect members being detained with sect members. |
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