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Armed attackers have abducted more than 300 students and teachers in what appears to be the most significant group abductions in recent Nigerian history, according to a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Crisis in Educational Institutions

The pre-dawn Friday attack on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria occurred just a short time after armed men invaded a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, taking 25 young women.

Earlier reports had indicated 227 victims were seized, but new numbers emerged after a detailed verification exercise confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 educators had been abducted.

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

Official Response and Safety Measures

State officials have stated that intelligence agencies and police are presently conducting a thorough assessment to establish the exact number of missing people.

In response to the growing security fears, the state government has mandated the shutting of all schools in the region, with nearby states adopting similar precautionary steps.

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

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

Latest Security Events

The educational institution abductions constitute the most recent in a series of security breaches that have shaken the country, including an assault on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and abducted many congregation members during a online broadcast service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of almost 300 female students by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with some of those victims still missing.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a concerning video clip circulated by religious groups, a upset school staff member described hearing the noise of motorcycles and cars before hearing "violent banging" on various entrances of the school premises.

"Students were screaming," the witness stated, describing her panic while looking for access to the section where the crying was loudest.

The local Catholic authority stated that the "assailants operated violently and without interruption for nearly three hours, moving through dormitories."

Citizen Response and Concerns

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned parents were picking up their students from schools following the shutdown order.

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

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

Continuing Security Challenges

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

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks, criminal groups demanding financial compensation often attack schools in rural areas where security is weak.

These gangs maintain camps in extensive forest areas spanning multiple states in the west of Nigeria.

While these bandits have no political motives and are mainly driven by financial gain, their growing cooperation with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a major source of worry for authorities and experts alike.