Gunmen kidnapped 136 from Islamic school in Nigeria

A general view of the classroom where gunmen kidnapped scores of children at an Islamic seminary in central Nigeria

Gunmen seized 136 children from a religious seminary in central Nigeria at the weekend, the state government said, the latest in a string of such incidents plaguing Africa's most populous nation. The Niger state government first reported the raid on the school in the town of Tegina on Monday, but did not indicate the number of children seized. Armed gangs are terrorising inhabitants in northwest and central Nigeria by looting villages, stealing cattle, and taking people hostage. More than 700 children and students have already been kidnapped by gunmen for ransom since December.