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Armed attackers have abducted over 300 pupils and educators in what appears to be the most significant mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian experience, as stated by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Emergency in Educational Facilities

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

Earlier reports had suggested 227 individuals were seized, but new figures surfaced after a comprehensive assessment confirmed that 303 students and 12 educators had been abducted.

The abducted students, ranging between eight and 18 years, constitute nearly half of the school's overall student population of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Measures

Local authorities have stated that intelligence agencies and police are presently conducting a thorough census to determine the exact number of missing individuals.

In response to the growing safety concerns, the state government has directed the shutting of all schools in the region, with nearby states following similar precautionary measures.

Furthermore, the national education ministry has directed the temporary closure of 47 residential high schools throughout the country.

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

Latest Security Events

The school abductions constitute the latest in a sequence of safety incidents that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a church in the west of Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two individuals and seized numerous congregation members during a live-streamed service.

These events have occurred against the backdrop of global focus on Nigeria's security situation.

Past Context

Nigeria remains scarred by the legacy of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with some of those victims still missing.

Firsthand Accounts

In a disturbing video clip shared by Christian groups, a upset worker recounted hearing the noise of bikes and vehicles before hearing "violent banging" on various entrances of the compound.

"Students were weeping," the witness said, describing her fear while searching for keys to the area where the screaming was most intense.

The regional Catholic authority stated that the "attackers operated aggressively and uninterrupted for almost three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Response and Fears

At the same time, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, concerned parents were picking up their children from educational institutions following the closure directive.

One parent, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, voiced her disbelief at the scale of the abduction, asking how 300 students could be taken simultaneously.

She concluded that the "authorities is failing to act to combat insecurity," and expressed approval for international intervention to "resolve this situation."

Ongoing Security Challenges

For a long time, well-equipped bandit groups have been carrying out murders and abductions for money in remote areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While no group has taken credit for the recent attacks, bandit gangs demanding financial compensation often attack schools in countryside locations where protection is inadequate.

These gangs maintain bases in vast woodland areas straddling several states in the west of Nigeria.

Although these bandits have no political motives and are mainly driven by monetary profit, their growing cooperation with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a major source of worry for officials and security analysts alike.