Massacre By Boko Haram Jihad Group Leaves Dozens Of Students Dead

In Nigeria, a group known as Boko Haram has murdered dozens of students at a university in what’s being called a “midnight massacre.”

The Boko Haram group is a militant Islamic jihadist sect in the region, formally known under a name that translates to “The Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad.” However, the shorter Boko Haram name (which is said to translate to “Western education is sinful”) has been used more commonly.

After the Boko Haram massacre at the College of Agriculture, Gujba this weekend, at least 40 students were confirmed dead — but as many as 78 may have been killed, with many more listed as missing.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the slaughter of sleeping students in their dormitories the “creation of the devil,” and he said during a press conference:

“I held a meeting with service chiefs on the killings of students in Yobe State before coming for this media chat. We discussed and resolved that we must do more. I have asked the service chiefs to meet again now and see what we can do to stop these embarrassing attacks.”

Reportedly, some of the recovered slain students’ bodies had been decapitated, and a student identified only by her first name, Idris, told news agencies that her classmates were killed in large groups as the attack wore on:

“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.”

Among the aims of Boko Haram in Nigeria, establishment of Sharia law is high, and attacks by the group on educational institutions of Western tradition are common.