SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: April 29, 2012

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Bayero University Kano

Region & Country:Western Africa | Nigeria

New or Ongoing:New Incident

Two professors and eight students were killed at the Bayero University, Kano during a church service when unknown persons suspected to be members of the Boko Haram group targeted worshipers with guns and improvised explosive devices. News and an eye witness report that 26 people were injured including serious casualties. Previously, the Boko Haram group targeted mostly religious buildings, government offices and security establishments. During a phone interview, the Head of the Internal Security Committee of the University suggested that the attack on the campus might have been the result of growing condemnation of the activities of the extremist group by members of the academic community. However, he emphasized that it was also possible it was unrelated to any known academic activity.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17886143
http://allafrica.com/stories/201204290313.html
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/40093-professor-9-others-killed-as-terrorists-bomb-bayero-varsity