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Armed attackers have kidnapped more than 300 pupils and educators in one of the largest group abductions in modern Nigerian times, as stated by a religious organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Institutions

The pre-dawn Friday assault on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria occurred just a short time after gunmen invaded a secondary school in adjacent Kebbi state, taking 25 female students.

Earlier reports had suggested 227 victims were seized, but new numbers surfaced after a comprehensive counting process established that 303 students and 12 instructors had been abducted.

The taken students, aged between eight and 18 years, account for nearly 50 percent of the school's overall student population of 629.

Government Reaction and Safety Actions

State authorities have announced that intelligence agencies and law enforcement are presently performing a comprehensive assessment to determine the precise number of abducted individuals.

In response to the growing security fears, the state government has mandated the shutting of every schools in the state, with nearby states adopting comparable precautionary steps.

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

President Bola Tinubu has called off overseas commitments, including attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on handling the crisis.

Recent Security Incidents

The school kidnappings represent the latest in a series of safety breaches that have rocked the nation, including an assault on a place of worship in western Nigeria where assailants shot dead two people and abducted dozens worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These incidents have occurred against the backdrop of global focus on Nigeria's safety situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria remains scarred by the memory of the mass kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a ten years ago, with several of those girls still missing.

Firsthand Accounts

In a concerning recording circulated by religious organizations, a frightened worker recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and cars before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple entrances of the compound.

"Children were crying," the witness reported, recounting her fear while searching for access to the section where the crying was most intense.

The local Catholic diocese stated that the "assailants operated aggressively and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, searching sleeping quarters."

Public Response and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned parents were picking up their children from schools following the shutdown directive.

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her disbelief at the scale of the kidnapping, questioning how 300 children could be taken simultaneously.

She stated that the "authorities is failing to act to address the security crisis," and expressed support for external assistance to "resolve this situation."

Ongoing Safety Challenges

For years, well-equipped bandit groups have been conducting killings and abductions for ransom in rural areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

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

These gangs maintain bases in extensive woodland areas spanning several states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no political motives and are primarily motivated by monetary profit, their growing cooperation with jihadist groups from the north-east has become a significant source of concern for officials and experts alike.