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Armed attackers have seized over 300 schoolchildren and staff in what appears to be the biggest group abductions in recent Nigerian times, as stated by a Christian organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Institutions

The early Friday attack on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state happened just a short time after gunmen attacked a secondary school in adjacent Kebbi state, abducting 25 girls.

Initial reports had indicated 227 victims were taken, but updated figures were released after a comprehensive verification exercise established that 303 pupils and 12 teachers had been abducted.

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

Government Response and Security Measures

State authorities have announced that security departments and law enforcement are currently performing a comprehensive head count to verify the precise number of abducted individuals.

In reaction to the increasing security fears, the local authorities has ordered the shutting of every schools in the region, with neighboring states adopting comparable preventive actions.

Additionally, the national education ministry has directed the temporary shutting of 47 residential high schools across the country.

President Bola Tinubu has called off overseas engagements, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on addressing the emergency.

Recent Violent Events

The school kidnappings represent the latest in a series of security breaches that have rocked the country, including an assault on a church in western Nigeria where gunmen killed two people and abducted many congregation members during a live-streamed service.

These incidents have taken place against the background of global focus on Nigeria's security situation.

Historical Background

Nigeria remains traumatized by the memory of the large-scale kidnapping of nearly 300 female students by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with several of those victims still missing.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing video clip shared by religious groups, a distraught school staff member recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and cars before hearing "violent banging" on various gates of the school premises.

"Students were weeping," the staff member said, recounting her panic while looking for access to the section where the screaming was loudest.

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

Citizen Reaction and Fears

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

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, voiced her disbelief at the scale of the abduction, questioning how 300 students could be abducted simultaneously.

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

Ongoing Safety Challenges

For years, well-equipped criminal gangs have been carrying out killings and kidnappings for money in rural areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where government control is limited.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the recent incidents, criminal groups seeking ransom payments frequently target schools in rural areas where security is weak.

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

While these criminals have no political motives and are mainly motivated by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of worry for authorities and experts alike.