MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)  Authorities say three people have died in a van blast in Nigeria’s restive northeast.
Maj. Gen. Jack Nwachukwu Nwaogbo told The Associated Press on Tuesday that an explosive went off under the van Monday evening as its driver slowed down at a military checkpoint in the city of Maiduguri.
He said the three victims had been riding in the van.
Authorities blame a radical Muslim sect locally known as Boko Haram for the bombing, the latest in a string of attacks which have targeted security officers, local leaders and clerics in the area over the last year.
The group, whose name means “Western education is sacrilege,” has claimed responsibility, in unverified statements, for a series of bombings in northern Nigeria.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)  A public university says it is closing indefinitely after receiving bomb threats from a radical Muslim sect in Nigeria’s restive northeast.
University of Maiduguri spokesman Ahmed Mohammed said Tuesday the school could no longer guarantee the safety of its 35,000 students.
Mohammed said two letters attributed to a radical sect locally known as Boko Haram threatened bomb attacks on the institution.
Hundreds gathered at bus parks Tuesday morning to leave Maiduguri amid the unrest.
Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sacrilege” in the local Hausa language, is responsible for a rash of killings targeting security officers, local leaders and clerics in the area over the last year. They have also claimed responsibility for a bombing at the nation’s police headquarters that killed two last month.
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