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Gunmen have seized in excess of 300 pupils and educators in one of the biggest group abductions in modern Nigerian times, as stated by a religious organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in Educational Facilities

The pre-dawn Friday attack on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria came just a short time after armed men invaded a secondary school in adjacent Kebbi state, seizing 25 young women.

Initial reports had suggested 227 individuals were taken, but updated numbers were released after a thorough assessment established that 303 students and 12 instructors had been abducted.

The abducted pupils, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly half of the school's total student population of 629.

Official Response and Security Actions

Local authorities have confirmed that intelligence departments and police are currently performing a thorough census to establish the precise number of missing people.

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

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

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

Latest Violent Incidents

The educational institution kidnappings constitute the latest in a series of security breaches that have shaken the country, including an attack on a place of worship in western Nigeria where assailants killed two people and seized dozens worshipers during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria remains scarred by the legacy of the mass abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with some of those girls still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing recording shared by religious groups, a distraught school staff member described hearing the noise of bikes and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple entrances of the compound.

"Students were weeping," the staff member stated, recounting her fear while searching for access to the area where the screaming was most intense.

The regional Catholic authority confirmed that the "attackers operated aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Citizen Reaction and Fears

At the same time, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, concerned guardians were picking up their children from schools following the closure directive.

One parent, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her shock at the magnitude of the kidnapping, questioning how 300 children could be abducted simultaneously.

She stated that the "government is not doing enough to curb insecurity," and voiced approval for international intervention to "resolve this crisis."

Continuing Safety Issues

For years, well-equipped bandit groups have been conducting murders and kidnappings for ransom in remote areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks, criminal groups demanding ransom payments often attack schools in countryside locations where protection is inadequate.

These gangs maintain camps in extensive woodland areas spanning multiple states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no political motives and are mainly motivated by monetary profit, their growing alliance with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant source of concern for officials and experts alike.