nigeria

A spokesman for the governor of Katsina state said 344 had been freed and were all in a good condition.

However, other reports suggest some remain in the hands of their captors.

The attack was claimed by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which hours earlier released a video apparently showing some of the boys.

In his statement, the spokesman, Abdul Labaran, said the boys were being taken to the regional capital Katsina City, and would soon be reunited with their families.

A number of people are reported to have been shot at a protest in Lekki, a suburb of the city.

A 24-hour curfew planned for Lagos, a key commercial hub and Africa's most populous city with an estimated 20 million residents, was delayed to allow commuters to return home.

Other regions are now imposing curfews.

Following reports of widespread violence across Nigeria, the city of Jos and Ekiti state said curfews would come into force later on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles were heading through to the last 16 at Argentina's expense with four minutes to go of the final Group D game, but Rojo's sensational low volley saved Jorge Sampaoli's men and set up a showdown with France in the next round. 

Messi gave Argentina the lead in St Petersburg on Tuesday, the Barcelona superstar scoring a stunner to bring up the 100th goal of Russia 2018.

But when Javier Mascherano dragged down Leon Balogun in the box shortly after the restart, Victor Moses stepped up to roll Nigeria level and within touching distance of progressing.

After two rounds of action in Group D, the 2014 runners-up are staring elimination in the face, having been held to a surprise 1-1 draw by debutants Iceland before capitulating to a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Croatia.

So much of the pre-tournament talk was whether - in what could be his final World Cup - Messi would finally experience international glory, as great rival Cristiano Ronaldo did with Portugal at Euro 2016.

Nigeria's hopes of reaching the last 16 hang in the balance following their 2-0 defeat to Croatia on Saturday, and defeat to Iceland would guarantee an early exit for the Super Eagles.

Rohr is sure his side will not slump to a second defeat, but knows Nigeria's inexperienced squad face a tough task to secure a place in the knockout stage.

"For me it's no question to lose, I don’t think we'll lose, so I don’t ask this question myself," Rohr answered when questioned how a defeat could impact his future.

Abraham - on loan at Swansea City from Chelsea - has played for England at Under-18, U19 and U21 level, but he is eligible for Nigeria through his father.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick had said the governing body was "working on" securing Abraham for the national team.

But in a statement, the 19-year-old said: "I have informed The FA that I remain available for selection for England.

"Contrary to reports in the media I would like to clarify that I have not agreed to switch my national-team allegiance.

The high-tension cable fell on a crowded shack showing the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht in the southern city of Calabar.

At least 30 people were taken to hospital by local ambulances and police who arrived quickly at the scene.

English football has a large and passionate following in Nigeria.

Eyewitnesses describe hearing a loud explosion from an electrical transformer which caused the cable to fall.

An eyewitness told the BBC he had counted at least 16 bodies, including children, at the scene of the accident.

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said that more than 20 million people faced the threat of starvation and famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.

Unicef has already warned 1.4m children could starve to death this year.

Mr O'Brien said $4.4bn (£3.6bn) was needed by July to avert disaster.

"We stand at a critical point in history," Mr O'Brien told the Security Council on Friday. "Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations."

Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport handled almost 5,000 domestic flights in December alone, making it the second busiest airport in the country. But it will shut down for six weeks from Wednesday, March 8.

The shutdown is expected to cause severe disruption. But the decision has been forced by the increasingly decrepit and dangerous condition of the airport's sole runway, which has ruptured in several places.

Amnesty International said the country's military used live ammunition and deadly force against pro-Biafra protestors who were campaigning for independence from Nigeria.

Nigeria's police denies allegations that it used unnecessary force.

The country's army said Amnesty was trying to tarnish its reputation.

Amnesty's report is based on interviews with almost 200 people, alongside more than 100 photographs and 87 videos.