The Nigerian police on Monday said 47 people were killed while 79 others were injured in the Monday morning bomb attack on Government Senior Science Secondary School, Potiskum in Yobe State. The police

said a suicide bomber disguised as a student detonated the explosive at the school's assembly ground at 7.45 a.m.

Police bomb experts are already at the crime scene while the victims have been taken to hospital, officials said.

Reports said the students were converged for the morning assembly when the incident occurred.

The Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum is one of the densely populated boarding schools for boys, located very close to the Potiskum General Hospital in the heart of town.

Potiskum is the largest town outside Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.



The attack on the high school came six days after a similar suicide bombing was targeted at members of the Shiite group, Islamic Brotherhood of Nigeria, also in Potiskum.

That bombing took place at Faydia Islamic school, ran by the Shiite. It is located near the old market in Potiskum.

The bomber struck when members of the Shiite were gathering to go on a procession to mark the Ashura Day.

Ashura Day is the tenth day of the month of Muharram, the new month of the Islamic calendar.

Shiite Muslims commemorate the day to mourn the death of Hasain Bn Ali, the grand son of Prophet Mohammed who was reportedly killed on that day.

As the faithful were about embarking on the procession, the bomber got into their midst and detonated his bomb, witnesses say.

Potiskum is the largest town outside Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.

Although, the town had witnessed several bomb and gun attacks from members of the Boko Haram sect in the past, it has of recent enjoyed relative peace.

That was punctured by the attack on the Shiite Muslims and then the high school.