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Armed attackers have kidnapped more than 300 students and teachers in what is considered the largest group abductions in recent Nigerian history, as stated by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Crisis in School Facilities

The early Friday assault on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state happened just days after gunmen stormed a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 girls.

Earlier reports had suggested 227 individuals were taken, but revised figures surfaced after a thorough assessment confirmed that 303 students and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

The abducted students, ranging between eight and 18 years, constitute nearly 50 percent of the school's total student population of 629.

Government Reaction and Safety Measures

Local authorities have stated that security departments and police are currently performing a thorough assessment to determine the precise number of missing individuals.

In reaction to the growing safety concerns, the local authorities has ordered the closure of every schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary actions.

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

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled international commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on handling the situation.

Recent Violent Events

The educational institution abductions represent the latest in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a church in western Nigeria where gunmen killed two people and abducted many worshipers during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the memory of the mass kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with several of those girls still missing.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a concerning recording circulated by Christian organizations, a upset school staff member described hearing the sounds of bikes and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple gates of the compound.

"Children were crying," the staff member reported, recounting her terror while looking for access to the area where the screaming was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese confirmed that the "assailants operated violently and uninterrupted for almost three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Citizen Response and Concerns

At the same time, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried parents were collecting their students from educational institutions following the shutdown directive.

One parent, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, voiced her shock at the scale of the kidnapping, asking how 300 children could be abducted at once.

She concluded that the "authorities is failing to act to combat insecurity," and voiced approval for external assistance to "salvage this crisis."

Ongoing Security Challenges

For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been conducting killings and abductions for ransom in rural areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While nobody has taken credit for the recent incidents, criminal groups demanding financial compensation often attack schools in rural areas where security is weak.

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

Although these bandits have no political motives and are mainly motivated by monetary profit, their growing alliance with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a major cause of worry for authorities and security analysts alike.