Gunmen have abducted babies, nurses and security guards from a hospital in north-west Nigeria, the police say.

The exact number of those taken in the city of Zaria isn't clear.

Local bandits carried out simultaneous attacks on a police station and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre, before escaping into a forest.

A local government official said troops were stepping up efforts to find the victims.

At least seven people were killed in similar attacks by gunmen over the weekend in Kaduna state.

Kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria.