Hours after Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan in his Presidential Media Chat boasted that the country was on the way to winning the war against Boko Haram, the insurgents, gunmen

suspected to be members of the sect attacked and killed some students of the Federal Government College Buni-Yadi, Yobe State, in the country’s troubled North-East.

Residents of the town of Buni Yadi said the attackers struck at night, slitting the throats of some students. They said that others were shot.

Teachers at the remote Federal Government College boarding school in Buni Yadi told the AP news agency that as many as 40 students had been killed in the assault which began early this morning.

Hospital sources in Yobe told the BBC 29 corpses had been brought in following the attack.

The military has confirmed that an attack took place on “student hostels” but says it cannot yet give further details.

“Details are still sketchy due to lack of telephone access, and it is still not clear how many students were affected in the attack,” Yobe military spokesman Lazarus Eli told the AFP news agency. “Our men are down there in pursuit of the killers,” he said.

This morning’s attack in Yobe is close to where suspected Boko Haram fighters killed more than 40 students last September.

•Photo courtesy BBC shows scene of a previous Bioko Haram operation.