An early morning explosion which rocked the Government Science Technical College, Potiskum, Yobe State, has killed at least 48 persons, mainly students, a hospital source has revealed.

At least 79 others are said to be seriously injured from the blast.

The explosive, believed to have been ferried into the school by a suicide bomber, went off just as students gathered for the morning assembly.

The identity of the suicide bomber is unknown but there are suggestions he might be one of the students of the school or an impersonator who mixed with students on the assembly ground.

One of the victims of the attack, Mohammed Isa, an SS 2 student, who spoke to journalists at the General Hospital in Potiskum where the injured were taken and the corpses deposited, said he believes the suicide bomber has disguised as one of the students to enable him carry out the plot.

“Our tradition at the Government Science Technical College, Potiskum, to assemble at the Assembly Ground for devotion before we move into our classes, but the suicide bomber who must have disguised as a student was with us during the wait for the principal and must have detonated the bomb which led to the killing,” Isa stated.

It was discovered that the school was not well fenced which could have allowed for the infiltration.

Meanwhile, a major riot resulting from protest by the infuriated villagers targeted at the military team deployed to the scene of the explosion has averted.

The villagers armed with sticks and clubs protested the second suicide bombing within a week, chanting slogans like “we are better off without you”, “we do not want you again in our town,” “you are useless to us” at the soldiers who were forced to leave the scene of the attack in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

The spokesperson of the police in Yobe State, Nansak Chegwam, confirmed the explosion, but declined further comments, saying the military is in charge of operations at the scene of the incident.