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Armed attackers have kidnapped more than 300 pupils and educators in one of the largest collective seizures in recent Nigerian times, as reported by a religious organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Facilities

The pre-dawn Friday raid on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria happened just days after armed men stormed a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 young women.

Earlier reports had indicated 227 victims were taken, but updated numbers emerged after a comprehensive assessment determined that 303 pupils and 12 teachers had been kidnapped.

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

Government Reaction and Safety Measures

State authorities have announced that security agencies and law enforcement are presently performing a thorough census to verify the precise number of missing people.

In response to the growing security concerns, the state government has directed the shutting of all schools in the state, with neighboring states following comparable precautionary measures.

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

President Bola Tinubu has called off overseas commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on managing the crisis.

Latest Violent Events

The educational institution abductions represent the most recent in a series of security breaches that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a church in western Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two individuals and seized dozens congregation members during a online broadcast service.

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

Past Background

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the memory of the large-scale 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.

Eyewitness Testimonies

In a disturbing video clip shared by Christian organizations, a distraught employee described hearing the noise of motorcycles and cars before experiencing "violent banging" on various gates of the school premises.

"Children were screaming," the staff member reported, describing her fear while looking for access to the section where the screaming was most intense.

The local Catholic diocese confirmed that the "assailants operated aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, moving through dormitories."

Citizen Reaction and Concerns

At the same time, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, worried parents were picking up their children from educational institutions following the shutdown directive.

One parent, a 40-year-old nurse, voiced her disbelief at the magnitude of the kidnapping, asking how 300 children could be abducted simultaneously.

She stated that the "authorities is failing to act to curb insecurity," and voiced approval for international assistance to "salvage this crisis."

Continuing Safety Issues

For years, heavily armed bandit groups have been carrying out murders and abductions for ransom in rural areas of northern and central Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the recent incidents, criminal groups demanding financial compensation frequently attack schools in rural areas where security is inadequate.

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

Although 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 cause of concern for officials and experts alike.