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Armed attackers have abducted over 300 students and teachers in what is considered the most significant mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian history, according to a Christian organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in School Facilities

The early Friday attack on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state occurred just a short time after gunmen invaded a secondary school in adjacent Kebbi state, seizing 25 young women.

Earlier reports had suggested 227 victims were seized, but new numbers were released after a comprehensive assessment determined that 303 students and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

The abducted pupils, ranging between eight and 18 years, account for nearly 50 percent of the school's overall enrollment of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Actions

Local authorities have confirmed that security agencies and police are currently performing a comprehensive head count to determine the precise number of missing people.

In reaction to the growing security fears, the state government has ordered the shutting of every schools in the region, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary actions.

Furthermore, the national education department has directed the temporary closure of 47 boarding secondary schools across the country.

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled international engagements, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on addressing the emergency.

Latest Violent Incidents

The school abductions constitute the latest in a sequence of security incidents that have shaken the country, including an assault on a church in the west of Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and seized many worshipers during a live-streamed service.

These events have occurred against the backdrop of international focus on Nigeria's safety situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria remains traumatized by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with some of those victims still missing.

Firsthand Accounts

In a concerning video clip circulated by religious organizations, a upset worker recounted hearing the noise of bikes and cars before hearing "forceful banging" on various gates of the compound.

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

The regional Catholic authority stated that the "assailants operated aggressively and uninterrupted for almost three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Public Response and Fears

At the same time, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried parents were collecting their children from educational institutions following the closure order.

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, voiced her shock at the magnitude of the abduction, questioning how 300 children could be abducted at once.

She concluded that the "authorities is not doing enough to curb insecurity," and expressed approval for international intervention to "salvage this situation."

Ongoing Safety Issues

For years, well-equipped bandit groups have been carrying out killings and abductions for ransom in remote areas of northwest and middle Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks, bandit gangs demanding financial compensation frequently target schools in rural areas where security is inadequate.

These groups maintain camps in extensive woodland areas spanning several states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no political motives and are primarily driven by financial gain, their growing cooperation with jihadist groups from the north-east has become a major source of worry for officials and experts alike.