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Armed attackers have kidnapped over 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the biggest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian history, according to a religious organization on the weekend.

Growing Crisis in School Institutions

The Friday morning attack on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state happened just days after gunmen attacked a high school in adjacent Kebbi state, seizing 25 female students.

Earlier reports had stated 227 victims were seized, but new figures surfaced after a detailed counting process determined that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been kidnapped.

The kidnapped students, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly half of the school's total student population of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Measures

Local authorities have stated that intelligence agencies and law enforcement are currently conducting a comprehensive assessment to determine the precise number of missing people.

In reaction to the growing security concerns, the local authorities has directed the shutting of every schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary measures.

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

President Bola Tinubu has postponed international commitments, including attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on handling the situation.

Latest Violent Incidents

The educational institution abductions constitute the most recent in a series of security incidents that have shaken the country, including an assault on a church in the west of Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two people and abducted dozens worshipers during a online broadcast service.

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

Past Context

Nigeria remains traumatized by the legacy of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 female students by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with some of those girls still missing.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a concerning recording circulated by Christian groups, a upset employee recounted hearing the noise of bikes and cars before experiencing "forceful banging" on multiple entrances of the school premises.

"Children were weeping," the witness stated, recounting her panic while searching for access to the area where the screaming was loudest.

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

Citizen Response and Concerns

At the same time, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned parents were picking up their children from schools following the closure order.

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her disbelief at the scale of the abduction, questioning 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 external intervention to "salvage this situation."

Ongoing Safety Challenges

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

While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, bandit gangs seeking financial compensation frequently attack schools in countryside locations where protection is inadequate.

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

While these criminals have no political motives and are mainly driven by financial gain, their increasing alliance with extremist groups from the north-east has become a major cause of concern for officials and experts alike.