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Armed attackers have kidnapped in excess of 300 schoolchildren and staff in one of the largest group abductions in modern Nigerian times, according to a Christian organization on the weekend.

Escalating Emergency in Educational Facilities

The Friday morning raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state happened just a short time after gunmen invaded a high school in adjacent Kebbi state, seizing 25 girls.

Initial accounts had suggested 227 individuals were taken, but updated numbers surfaced after a detailed assessment established that 303 pupils and 12 teachers had been abducted.

The taken pupils, ranging between eight and 18 years, account for nearly half of the school's overall student population of 629.

Official Reaction and Safety Measures

State officials have stated that intelligence departments and law enforcement are presently conducting a thorough head count to verify the precise number of abducted individuals.

In reaction to the increasing safety fears, the state government has directed the closure of all schools in the state, with nearby states adopting similar preventive steps.

Additionally, the national education ministry has directed the temporary shutting of 47 boarding secondary schools across the country.

President Bola Tinubu has postponed overseas engagements, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on managing the emergency.

Latest Security Events

The educational institution abductions represent the most recent in a sequence of security breaches that have shaken the country, including an assault on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two individuals and abducted numerous worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These events have taken place against the background of international focus on Nigeria's safety situation.

Historical Background

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of almost 300 female students by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a ten years ago, with several of those victims still missing.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a disturbing recording circulated by religious groups, a distraught worker recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and vehicles before hearing "forceful banging" on multiple gates of the school premises.

"Children were screaming," the witness reported, describing her terror while searching for access to the area where the crying was most intense.

The local Catholic diocese confirmed that the "assailants operated violently and uninterrupted for almost three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Reaction and Fears

At the same time, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned guardians were collecting their students from schools following the shutdown order.

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her disbelief at the scale of the abduction, asking how 300 children could be abducted simultaneously.

She concluded that the "government is not doing enough to curb insecurity," and expressed support for international assistance to "salvage this situation."

Continuing Security Issues

For a long time, well-equipped bandit groups have been carrying out killings and kidnappings for ransom in rural areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While nobody has taken credit for the recent attacks, bandit gangs seeking ransom payments often target schools in rural areas where protection is weak.

These groups maintain camps in vast woodland areas spanning several states in western Nigeria.

While these criminals have no political motives and are primarily motivated by monetary profit, their increasing alliance with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a major source of concern for officials and experts alike.