Gunmen in Nigeria opened fire at students asleep in their dormitories on Sunday, killing at least 40 people, BBC reported.
The attackers also set fire to several classrooms, according to military spokesman Lazarus Eli.
An exact death toll is not certain -- a politician told BBC that 50 students were killed while the military counted 42 dead and 18 injured.
The men that attacked the College of Agriculture in Yobe State are suspected to be Islamist militants from Boko Haram, which have links to Al Qaeda. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the militant group vehemently opposes education.
No security forces were working in the area at the time of the shooting. Following the deadly incident, Official Abdullahi Bego said the government and military is working to increase security of campuses nationwide.
Boko Haram, which means "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language, has launched large-scale attacks throughout Nigeria, leading President Goodluck Johnathan to enact an emergency rule in May.
The group has has vowed to fight for Nigeria to become an Islamic state and is responsible for attacks throughout the nation since 2009, several of which have happened within the past few months. Nigeria is split between a Muslim north and Christian south.
Government adviser Abdullahi Bego said closing the campus would be giving into the terrorists' agenda, so the classes will remain on schedule.
"We are committed to providing education to our children in Yobe state and in north-eastern Nigeria," Bego said.
Bego added that state authorities will start working with the military to enact stronger protection policies.
According to college provost Molima Idi Mato, around 1,000 students fled the campus during and after the attack.
Both Boko Haram and Al Shabaab, the terrorist group responsible for the Westgate Shopping Mall attack, have connections to Al Qaeda and often carry out assaults on civilians.
