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Armed attackers have seized over 300 pupils and educators in what appears to be the most significant mass kidnappings in modern Nigerian times, according to a religious organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in Educational Institutions

The early Friday raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria occurred just days after armed men attacked a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 girls.

Initial reports had suggested 227 individuals were taken, but updated numbers were released after a detailed counting process established that 303 students and 12 teachers had been kidnapped.

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

Official Reaction and Security Measures

State officials have confirmed that security departments and police are currently conducting a comprehensive head count to establish the exact number of abducted people.

In reaction to the increasing safety concerns, the state government has ordered the shutting of all schools in the region, with neighboring states following similar preventive measures.

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

President Bola Tinubu has postponed overseas commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on addressing the crisis.

Recent Violent Events

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

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

Past Background

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

Firsthand Testimonies

In a concerning video clip shared by religious organizations, a frightened school staff member recounted hearing the noise of bikes and vehicles before hearing "forceful banging" on multiple gates of the compound.

"Children were screaming," the staff member reported, describing her fear while looking for keys to the area where the screaming was most intense.

The regional Catholic authority confirmed that the "assailants acted aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Public Reaction and Concerns

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

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her shock 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 approval for external assistance to "resolve this crisis."

Continuing Security Issues

For a long time, heavily armed bandit groups have been carrying out murders and abductions for ransom in remote areas of northern and central Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the recent incidents, criminal groups seeking ransom payments often attack schools in rural areas where protection is inadequate.

These gangs maintain bases in extensive forest areas spanning multiple states in the west of Nigeria.

Although these bandits have no political motives and are mainly driven by monetary profit, their growing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant source of concern for authorities and experts alike.