By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS

Police have confirmed that 15 people were killed on Wednesday in bombings and sporadic shootings by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram militants at a college in Nigeria's northwestern Kano State.

"We confirmed that 15 people died in the blasts and the sporadic shootings at the Federal College of Education, Kano this afternoon," Police Commissioner Adenrele Shinaba told journalists at a press briefing.

He said police had launched an investigation into the incident, which comes amid national outrage over a controversial arms deal involving a top Christian cleric and an ally of the president.

Eyewitnesses said the victims were mostly women.

"Most of the dead are women and two of the attackers. It is suspected that one of them detonated an improvised explosive device wired to his body," local resident Haruna Minjiwa told Anadolu Agency.

Police did not say whether suicide bombers were involved in the attack. They only confirmed that "sporadic shootings" had taken place simultaneously when the blasts went off.

Kano has witnessed dozens of terrorist attacks in the past few months, including suicide bombings.

The last incident was a July 30 suicide attack on a polytechnic in which about 20 people were confirmed killed.

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