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Armed attackers have seized more than 300 students and teachers in one of the most significant mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian history, according to a religious organization on the weekend.

Growing Emergency in School Institutions

The Friday morning raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state occurred just days after gunmen stormed a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 young women.

Earlier reports had indicated 227 victims were seized, but new numbers were released after a detailed verification exercise determined that 303 students and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

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

Official Reaction and Safety Actions

Local authorities have stated that security agencies and law enforcement are currently performing a comprehensive head count to verify the exact number of missing individuals.

In reaction to the growing safety fears, the state government has ordered the shutting of all schools in the state, with neighboring states following comparable preventive measures.

Furthermore, the national education department has directed the temporary shutting of 47 residential high schools throughout the country.

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

Recent Violent Events

The educational institution kidnappings represent the latest in a series of safety breaches that have rocked the nation, including an assault on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where assailants killed two people and abducted dozens worshipers during a online broadcast service.

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

Historical Context

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

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing video clip circulated by Christian groups, a frightened school staff member described hearing the sounds of bikes and cars before hearing "forceful banging" on multiple gates of the school premises.

"Children were crying," the staff member said, describing her fear while looking for access to the area where the screaming was loudest.

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

Citizen Response and Concerns

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned guardians were collecting their students from schools following the closure order.

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, voiced her shock at the scale of the kidnapping, questioning how 300 students could be abducted at once.

She concluded that the "authorities is not doing enough to curb insecurity," and expressed approval for external intervention to "resolve this crisis."

Ongoing Security Challenges

For a long time, well-equipped criminal gangs have been carrying out murders and abductions for ransom in rural areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While no group has taken credit for the latest incidents, bandit gangs seeking ransom payments frequently target schools in countryside locations where security is inadequate.

These groups maintain bases in extensive forest areas spanning multiple states in western Nigeria.

While these criminals have no political motives and are mainly driven by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with extremist groups from the north-east has become a major source of worry for officials and experts alike.