Hundreds of students are feared missing after gunmen raided a secondary school in north-western Nigeria.
The attackers arrived on motorbikes and started shooting into the air, causing people to flee, witnesses said.
They targeted the Government Science Secondary School - where more than 800 students are said to reside - in Katsina state on Friday evening.
On Saturday, the military said it had located the gunmen's hideout in a forest and exchanged gunfire with them.
The outcome was unclear but officials said there were no reports of students being injured.
Meanwhile, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack and ordered the school to carry out a full audit of students to find out how many are missing. Parents who dashed to the school to take their children home were also asked to notify the school authorities.
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Government troops have surrounded the area where gunmen are believed to be holding schoolchildren hostage in north-western Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesman has said.
ReplyDeleteTen children are reportedly being held captive, Garba Shehu said, far fewer than the number staff reported missing.
About 800 pupils were enrolled at the all-boys school in Katsina state and about half remain unaccounted for.
The attackers are thought to be seeking ransom, Mr Shehu said.
The government has blamed the attack on bandits, a loose term for gangs operating in the area.
Amnesty International says more than 1,100 people were killed by bandits in northern Nigeria in the first six months of this year, with the government failing to bring the attackers to justice.