Kuriga kidnap: More than 280 Nigerian pupils abducted

More than 280 Nigerian school pupils have been abducted in the north-western town of Kuriga, officials say.

The pupils were in the assembly ground around 08:30 (07:30 GMT) when dozens of gunmen on motorcycles rode through the school, one witness said.

The students, between the ages of eight and 15, were taken away, along with a teacher, they added.

Kidnap gangs, known as bandits, have seized hundreds of people in recent years, especially the north-west.

However, there had been a reduction in the mass abduction of children over the past year until this week.