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Armed attackers have seized over 300 students and teachers in what is considered the biggest group abductions in recent Nigerian history, as stated by a religious organization on the weekend.

Escalating Emergency in Educational Facilities

The Friday morning assault on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria came just days after armed men invaded a secondary school in adjacent Kebbi state, taking 25 female students.

Initial reports had stated 227 victims were seized, but updated numbers emerged after a comprehensive counting process confirmed that 303 students and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

The kidnapped students, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly half of the school's overall student body of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Actions

State authorities have announced that intelligence departments and police are presently conducting a comprehensive head count to establish the exact number of abducted individuals.

In reaction to the growing safety concerns, the local authorities has ordered the closure of every schools in the state, with nearby states following similar precautionary measures.

Additionally, the federal education ministry has ordered the temporary shutting of 47 boarding secondary schools throughout the country.

President Bola Tinubu has called off international commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on managing the situation.

Recent Security Incidents

The educational institution kidnappings constitute the latest in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the country, including an assault on a place of worship in western Nigeria where gunmen killed two individuals and seized many worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These incidents have taken place against the backdrop of international attention on Nigeria's security situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria remains scarred by the memory of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with some of those girls still missing.

Eyewitness Testimonies

In a disturbing recording shared by religious organizations, a frightened school staff member recounted hearing the noise of bikes and cars before hearing "forceful banging" on various gates of the school premises.

"Students were weeping," the staff member stated, describing her terror while searching for access to the section where the screaming was most intense.

The local Catholic diocese stated that the "assailants operated aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Reaction and Concerns

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, worried guardians were collecting their students from educational institutions following the shutdown order.

One parent, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her shock at the magnitude of the kidnapping, asking how 300 children could be abducted simultaneously.

She stated that the "authorities is not doing enough to combat the security crisis," and expressed approval for external assistance to "resolve this crisis."

Ongoing Safety Challenges

For a long time, well-equipped criminal gangs have been conducting murders and abductions for money in remote areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the recent incidents, bandit gangs demanding financial compensation frequently attack schools in rural areas where security is inadequate.

These gangs maintain bases in vast woodland areas spanning multiple states in western Nigeria.

While these bandits have no political motives and are mainly driven by financial gain, their increasing alliance with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a major source of worry for authorities and security analysts alike.