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Gunmen have seized over 300 pupils and educators in what appears to be the biggest group abductions in modern Nigerian experience, as reported by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in School Facilities

The early Friday assault on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria occurred just a short time after gunmen attacked a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 young women.

Initial reports had suggested 227 individuals were seized, but updated numbers emerged after a thorough assessment established that 303 pupils and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

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

Government Response and Security Measures

State officials have stated that intelligence agencies and law enforcement are presently performing a comprehensive census to verify the precise number of abducted individuals.

In response to the increasing security fears, the local authorities has mandated the closure of every schools in the state, with neighboring states following comparable precautionary actions.

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

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

Recent Security Incidents

The school kidnappings represent the most recent in a sequence of security breaches that have rocked the nation, including an assault on a church in western Nigeria where assailants shot dead two people and seized numerous congregation members during a online broadcast service.

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

Historical Background

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

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing video clip circulated by Christian organizations, a frightened worker recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "forceful banging" on various gates of the compound.

"Children were crying," the witness said, describing her terror while searching for access to the area where the crying was loudest.

The local Catholic diocese stated that the "attackers acted violently and without interruption for nearly three hours, searching dormitories."

Citizen Response and Fears

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

One parent, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her disbelief at the magnitude of the kidnapping, questioning how 300 students could be taken at once.

She stated that the "authorities is not doing enough to address insecurity," and voiced support for international assistance to "salvage this situation."

Ongoing Security Challenges

For years, well-equipped criminal gangs have been conducting killings and kidnappings for money in rural areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While no group has taken credit for the latest attacks, criminal groups demanding financial compensation frequently attack schools in rural areas where protection is weak.

These groups maintain camps in vast forest areas straddling multiple states in the west of Nigeria.

While these bandits have no ideological leanings and are mainly motivated by financial gain, their increasing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of worry for officials and security analysts alike.