Gunmen wearing military attire stormed a student housing area in northeastern Nigeria Monday night killing approximately 26 people, most of whom were students.
"The attackers went to the houses of the victims, called them out by their names and killed them," said Adamawa State Police spokesman Mohammed Ibrahim, according to CNN. "They used guns and knives on the victims." Some of the victims suffered slit throats, he said.
Investigators believe the attack, which occurred near the Federal Polytechnic college in Mubi, was “an inside job,” as the attackers called out the names and identities of their victims prior to the attacks.
There have been speculations that the killings were linked to an upcoming student election, raising questions over how and why the dispute turned so violent.
Ethnic tensions between the mainly Muslim Hausas and predominately Christian Igbos involved in the vote may have fueled the assault, AFP reported.
Authorities believe the Boko Haram Islamic terrorist group was responsible for the attack. The group has been blamed for killing more than 690 people this year alone and has been urging the federal government to release its imprisoned members and implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria, which is largely divided into a Christian south and a Muslim north.