The police in Niger State has said that only a female suicide bomber was killed in the deadly explosion at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Wednesday afternoon.

The Niger State police spokesperson, Ibrahim Gambari, said an unidentified female suicide bomber struck at the school on Wednesday, killing herself and injuring three others.

Students of the institution were taking examinations when the incident occurred.

The attack came only two days after a suicide bomber attacked a school in Yobe State killing almost 60 people.
The latest incident occurred in the town of Kontagora, Niger state, which is some 150 kilometres from the state capital, Minna.

Niger State, for over two years had not experienced any Boko Haram attack and Kontagora where the incident occurred is about 2,000 kilometres from Boko Haram’s northeastern haven.

Contrary to the claim by the police, however, an eyewitness said that at least one person, a young boy believed to be an Almajiri, died alongside the female bomber.

“She detonated her bomb vest between the auditorium and the college library. She might have been on her way to the library,” said Aisha Kontagora, who lives in Kontangora.

Meanwhile, the governor of the state, Babangida Aliyu, has condemned the blast and urged the people of Kontagora and other parts of the state to remain calm as a full scale investigation had commenced into the unfortunate incident.

In a statement by his press secretary, Israel Ebije, the governor called on the people of the state to remain vigilant and observant, in order to be able to identify strange faces in their communities.

He added that the government had already doubled security in all the schools and set up teams to ensure continuous screening of people in school environments to prevent evil perpetrators from infiltrating.

Governor Aliyu said those affected by the blast were receiving treatment for injuries and would soon be discharged.
Niger State shares border with Abuja, the Nigerian capital.