Nigeria, Nov. 22 -- The number of children abducted on Friday from St Mary's School in the Papiri area of Agwara Local Government in Niger State has risen to 303, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Twelve teachers were also taken.

The Chairperson of the Niger State chapter of CAN, Bulus Yohanna, stated that the new figure resulted from a verification exercise and a final census conducted at the school.

"A total of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted," he said in a statement on Saturday. He added that another 88 students who tried to flee during the attack were also taken. The victims are between 10 and 18 years old.

CAN officials visited the school on Friday. The facility remains deserted except for s...