Nigeria sees one of worst mass abductions as 315 taken from school

The kidnapping comes amid a surge of attacks by armed groups in the African nation.

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More than 300 children and staff are now thought to have been kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, making it one of the worst mass abductions the country has seen.

The Christian Association of Nigeria said 303 students and 12 teachers were taken from St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state - substantially more than previously estimated.

It said the figures have been revised upwards "after a verification exercise".

The kidnapping comes amid a surge of attacks by armed groups. The revised number of people taken surpasses the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok mass abduction of 2014.