Aftermath of Boko Haram attack (illustration)
Aftermath of Boko Haram attack (illustration)Reuters

At least 46 students have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a school assembly in Potiskum in the northeastern region of Nigeria. The suicide bomber was dressed up as a student, said police, when he blew himself up at a boys' school in Yobe state.

According to the BBC, police said that Islamist terror group Boko Haram could be behind the blast.

The state government of Yobe has shut down all public schools around Potiskum and condemned the government for not tackling the group.

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam said that "Urgent action must be taken right now to restore a fast-waning public confidence by doing whatever it takes to stop the escalating violence."

Boko Haram has targeted schools during a five-year insurgency that seeks to establish an Islamic State. It believes girls should not attend school at all and boys should only receive an Islamic education.