Suspected Islamic extremists shot and killed four people involved in education programs, including a man in charge of a program to feed poor students, in northeast Nigeria, officials said.
The killings happened on Monday on the outskirts of Bama in Borno State, a region long under attack by a radical Islamic extremist network known as Boko Haram. Authorities say the four were killed as they tried to flee the gunmen.
A military spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that the incident took place, while other State officials said they would attend a burial for the dead planned for Tuesday.
Boko Haram and other Islamic extremists have been waging a guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings across northern Nigeria. The violence has killed at least 169 people this year alone, according to an Associated Press count.