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Gunmen have seized over 300 students and teachers in what is considered the largest group abductions in recent Nigerian experience, as stated by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in School Institutions

The Friday morning attack on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state came just a short time after armed men invaded a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 girls.

Initial reports had suggested 227 individuals were seized, but revised numbers surfaced after a detailed counting process established that 303 students and 12 instructors had been abducted.

The kidnapped children, ranging between eight and 18 years, represent nearly 50 percent of the school's overall student population of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Measures

State officials have confirmed that security agencies and law enforcement are presently performing a comprehensive census to verify the exact number of abducted people.

In reaction to the increasing safety fears, the local authorities has mandated the closure of every schools in the region, with neighboring states following comparable precautionary measures.

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

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

Recent Security Incidents

The educational institution kidnappings constitute the most recent in a series of security incidents that have shaken the country, including an assault on a place of worship in western Nigeria where assailants killed two people and seized many worshipers during a live-streamed service.

These incidents have occurred against the background of international attention on Nigeria's security situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the memory of the large-scale abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a ten years ago, with several of those victims still missing.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing video clip circulated by Christian organizations, a frightened employee described hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple gates of the school premises.

"Students were screaming," the staff member stated, recounting her fear while searching for keys to the area where the screaming was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese confirmed that the "attackers acted violently and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, moving through dormitories."

Public Reaction and Concerns

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

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her shock at the magnitude of the kidnapping, asking how 300 children could be taken at once.

She stated that the "authorities is failing to act to address insecurity," and expressed approval for external assistance to "salvage this situation."

Continuing Security Issues

For a long time, well-equipped criminal gangs have been conducting killings and abductions for ransom in rural areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

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

These groups maintain bases in vast forest areas straddling multiple states in western Nigeria.

While these criminals have no ideological leanings and are primarily driven by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a major source of worry for authorities and experts alike.