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Armed attackers have kidnapped over 300 pupils and educators in one of the biggest group abductions in recent Nigerian history, as stated by a religious organization on Saturday.

Growing Emergency in Educational Institutions

The early Friday attack on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria occurred just days after armed men stormed a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 female students.

Initial accounts had indicated 227 individuals were seized, but revised figures were released after a detailed counting process confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been kidnapped.

The kidnapped students, ranging between eight and 18 years, constitute nearly half of the school's total student body of 629.

Official Response and Safety Measures

State authorities have stated that security departments and law enforcement are presently conducting a comprehensive census to determine the precise number of missing individuals.

In response to the increasing security concerns, the local authorities has ordered the closure of every schools in the region, with nearby states adopting comparable preventive actions.

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

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

Recent Security Events

The educational institution kidnappings represent the latest in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the nation, including an assault on a church in western Nigeria where assailants killed two people and abducted numerous congregation members during a online broadcast service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria remains traumatized by the memory of the mass kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a ten years ago, with some of those victims still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a concerning video clip circulated by Christian organizations, a upset school staff member described hearing the noise of bikes and cars before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple entrances of the school premises.

"Students were weeping," the staff member reported, recounting her fear while looking for keys to the section where the screaming was loudest.

The local Catholic diocese stated that the "attackers operated violently and uninterrupted for almost three hours, searching sleeping quarters."

Public Reaction and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, worried guardians were picking up their students from educational institutions following the closure directive.

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, voiced her shock at the magnitude of the abduction, asking how 300 children could be abducted at once.

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

Ongoing Safety Challenges

For years, heavily armed bandit groups have been carrying out murders and kidnappings for money in remote areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where government control is limited.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the recent incidents, criminal groups demanding financial compensation frequently attack schools in countryside locations where security is inadequate.

These groups maintain bases in vast forest areas straddling multiple states in the west of Nigeria.

While these bandits have no political motives and are mainly driven by financial gain, their increasing alliance with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of worry for authorities and experts alike.