UPDATED: Schools Closed in Yobe State As Officials Struggle To Keep Students Safe

UPDATED 11/11/14, 11:07 A.M. EST: According to government officials, all public and private schools have been closed in Yobe state until they can figure out how to properly secure these institutions from insurgent attacks, according to the Vanguard.

Yobe South Senatorial District Representative Alkali Jajere added, “The number one responsibility of government is to protect the lives and property of the citizenry; government must live up to this basic responsibility.

“We are optimistic that with the necessary support and motivation, the Nigerian security forces can defeat insurgency.”

See photos from the Government Science Secondary School bombing here:

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UPDATED 11/10/14, 3:42 P.M. EST: The death toll has reportedly risen to 48 and hospital officials are asking for concerned citizens to donate blood as their reserves are low, according to the Daily Trust.

Volunteer Ahmed Yunus described the scene at the school explosion, saying, “About 15 students, whose bodies were disfigured but still bleeding at the scene of the explosion died on the way to the General Hospital, Potiskum.”

“Some died shortly on arriving at the hospital.”

Potiskum resident Kulu Mustapha added, “The suicide bomber disguised as a student because he wore the same uniform being used by students of the school. This gave him the ease to get much closer to the assembly ground where he carried out the nefarious act.

“It was a gory scene because some of the innocent students have been decapitated by the explosion, what you only see is body parts and tattered uniforms.”

Regarding the scene on the streets, with the public reportedly throwing stones at the police, the Daily Trust reports:

 

Meanwhile, angry youth in Potiskum have reportedly denied soldiers and other security operatives from getting access to the school where the bomb occurred.

“We chased them (security operatives) away because the worst has happened and we feel they would not do anything to reverse the sad incident. The students have died and therefore we don’t want them at the scene,” one of the protesters said.

Sources said the angry mob pelted the security operatives with stones, chanting, “Bama so, Bama so” meaning “We don’t want you.”

Finally, an unnamed health worker told the press about their blood shortage, “We hope well-meaning people would come to assist with blood. Some of the victims lost a lot of blood and may die if nothing urgent is done,” he said.

Watch news coverage of the bombing here:

 

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On Monday morning, a suicide bomber set off an explosion, killing and maiming dozens of students while they were at Government Science Secondary School in Potiskum, Yobe, Nigeria, reports the BBC.

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Once students gathered on the assembly grounds of the school, a suicide bomber reportedly dressed as a student set off a bomb, killing 46 students and injuring 79 others at the all-boy institution.

A witness explains, “School children were at the assembly ground this morning at about 07:30am [06:30 GMT], then a suicide bomber who was disguised and dressed as student detonated a bomb.

“It was a devastating attack. Dozens of children lost their lives and many more were injured. Some had broken limbs.”

Obviously, homegrown terrorist group Boko Haram are thought to be responsible for the attack, since they don’t believe girls should attend school and only support boys receiving Islamic education.

Unfortunately, Boko Haram has targeted schools before, with their April abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Chibok receiving worldwide attention.

Of the explosion, one student recalled seeing the remains of his classmates.

The BBC reports:

One student told the BBC he saw the mutilated bodies of fellow students at the scene where emergency operations are ongoing. A resident reported seeing parents wailing at the sight of their children’s bodies at the hospital.

And stunned parents reportedly wailed at the sight of their deceased and wounded children at the local hospital.

In the streets, crowds were said to throw rocks at the police because they believe they aren’t doing enough to protect the people.

Sadly, this latest incident comes on the heels of a bombing of Shia Muslims in the community just last week (pictured). At the time, a suicide bomber reportedly joined a religious procession of the group just before detonating his bomb and killing another 15 people.

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