A screengrab taken on September 25, 2013 shows a
man claiming to be the leader of Nigerian Islamist
extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau.
-- Under the cover of darkness, gunmen
approached a college dormitory in a rural Nigerian
town and opened fire on students who were sleeping.
At least 21 died, according to Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan.
The gunmen fired indiscriminately on the male dorm,
said Lazarus Eli, a military spokesman. The attack took
place at about 1 a.m. Sunday at the College of
Agriculture Gujba.
"So far all evidence points to the Boko Haram," Eli told
CNN by phone.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Part of a pattern?
Since 2009, Boko Haram has sown murder and
mayhem in Nigeria's northeastern region. The Islamic
militant group's name translates from the local Hausa
language as "Western education is a sin."
Boko Haram militants often target schools and
churches. In 2011 and 2012, Christmas attacks were
blamed on them .
Jonathan created a new wing of the military to
specifically deal with the insurgency.
In May, Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three
northeastern states . He cited "terrorists" who have
caused a "a near breakdown of law and order."
One of the three states is Yobe, where Sunday's attack
took place.
It was the third attack on a school in four months in
Yobe.
The ongoing violence in this predominantly Muslim
region has claimed thousands of lives.
Meanwhile, human rights groups have accused the
military of committing atrocities against civilians .
During a May trip to the country, U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry said Nigeria "has acknowledged that there
have been some problems" and was "working to try to
control it."
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