Militants stormed a college in northern Nigeria on Sunday night, opening fire on dozens of students as they slept in their dormitories.
As many as 50 people were killed at the agricultural college of 1,000 students, according to BBC News. The college is located in rural Gujba, Yobe, an area which has been in a state of emergency for the past four months.
"They attacked our students while they were sleeping in their hostels. They opened fire at them," Molima Idi Mato, the school provost, told the Associated Press.
The militants were likely members of Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group with ties to Al Qaeda, according to the LA Times. Boko Haram, which literally translates to “Western education is a sin,” has been terrorizing schools and colleges for years in an attempt to establish an Islamic state.
Most schools in the Damaturu area closed after 29 students were killed, some burned alive, on July 6th. Two weeks ago, the state commissioner for education, Mohammed Lamin, encouraged schools to reopen, promising protection from security forces. However, no police or soldiers were stationed at the college in Gujba, according to USA Today.
The ambush came only eight days after an Islamic extremist group attacked a shopping mall in Kenya.