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Armed attackers have seized over 300 students and teachers in one of the biggest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian times, as stated by a Christian organization on the weekend.

Growing Emergency in Educational Facilities

The Friday morning raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria came just a short time after armed men invaded a high school in adjacent Kebbi state, abducting 25 female students.

Earlier accounts had indicated 227 victims were seized, but revised figures were released after a detailed assessment established that 303 students and 12 instructors had been abducted.

The kidnapped children, ranging between eight and 18 years, represent nearly half of the school's overall student population of 629.

Official Response and Security Actions

Local authorities have stated that security agencies and law enforcement are presently conducting a thorough assessment to verify the precise number of missing individuals.

In response to the increasing security fears, the state government has ordered the shutting of every schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary measures.

Additionally, the federal education department has directed the temporary closure of 47 residential high schools across the country.

President Bola Tinubu has postponed international engagements, including attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on managing the situation.

Recent Security Incidents

The educational institution abductions represent the most recent in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a church in the west of Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two people and seized numerous worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These incidents have occurred against the background of international focus on Nigeria's safety situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria remains traumatized by the memory of the large-scale kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with some of those girls still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Accounts

In a concerning video clip circulated by Christian organizations, a upset school staff member described hearing the sounds of bikes and cars before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple entrances of the compound.

"Children were screaming," the staff member stated, recounting her panic while searching for keys to the section where the crying was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese confirmed that the "attackers operated aggressively and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Reaction and Concerns

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried guardians were picking up their children from educational institutions following the shutdown order.

One parent, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her disbelief at the magnitude of the kidnapping, asking how 300 students could be abducted simultaneously.

She concluded that the "government is failing to act to address insecurity," and voiced support for international assistance to "salvage this situation."

Continuing Security Issues

For years, well-equipped bandit groups have been carrying out murders and kidnappings for ransom in remote areas of northern and central Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While nobody has taken credit for the recent incidents, bandit gangs seeking ransom payments frequently attack schools in rural areas where protection is weak.

These gangs maintain bases in extensive forest areas straddling several states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no ideological leanings and are mainly driven by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant source of concern for officials and security analysts alike.