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Gunmen have abducted in excess of 300 pupils and educators in one of the largest collective seizures in modern Nigerian times, as stated by a Christian organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Facilities

The early Friday attack on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state came just a short time after armed men attacked a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 girls.

Earlier reports had stated 227 victims were seized, but updated numbers surfaced after a thorough assessment confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 teachers 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 Response and Security Actions

Local officials have confirmed that intelligence agencies and police are currently performing a comprehensive assessment to determine the precise number of missing individuals.

In response to the increasing safety concerns, the local authorities has directed the closure of every schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar preventive actions.

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

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled overseas commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on handling the crisis.

Latest Violent Incidents

The educational institution kidnappings constitute the latest in a series of security incidents that have shaken the nation, including an assault on a place of worship in western Nigeria where gunmen killed two individuals and seized dozens congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Past Background

Nigeria remains scarred by the memory of the mass abduction of nearly 300 female students by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with several of those girls still unaccounted for.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a concerning video clip shared by Christian organizations, a frightened worker recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on various gates of the compound.

"Students were weeping," the staff member reported, recounting her terror while searching for keys to the section where the crying was most intense.

The regional Catholic authority stated that the "attackers acted violently and uninterrupted for almost three hours, moving through dormitories."

Public Reaction and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried guardians were picking up their children from educational institutions following the closure order.

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

She stated that the "authorities is failing to act to curb the security crisis," and voiced support for international assistance to "resolve this situation."

Ongoing Security Challenges

For years, heavily armed bandit groups have been conducting killings and abductions for ransom in rural areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, criminal groups demanding ransom payments often attack schools in rural areas where security is weak.

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

While these bandits have no ideological leanings and are mainly motivated by financial gain, their growing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of concern for officials and security analysts alike.