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Armed attackers have abducted more than 300 students and teachers in what appears to be the most significant mass kidnappings in modern Nigerian history, as reported by a religious organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in School Facilities

The Friday morning assault on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state occurred just a short time after gunmen invaded a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 young women.

Earlier reports had suggested 227 victims were seized, but new figures emerged after a thorough counting process determined that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been kidnapped.

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

Government Reaction and Security Actions

Local authorities have announced that security departments and police are currently conducting a comprehensive assessment to establish the precise number of abducted people.

In reaction to the growing safety concerns, the state government has mandated the closure of all schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary measures.

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

President Bola Tinubu has called off international commitments, including attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on addressing the crisis.

Recent Violent Incidents

The school abductions constitute the most recent in a series of security incidents that have rocked the nation, including an assault on a church in the west of Nigeria where assailants killed two people and abducted many congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the legacy of the mass abduction of almost 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with some of those girls still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Accounts

In a disturbing video clip shared by religious groups, a frightened school staff member recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before hearing "violent banging" on various gates of the compound.

"Students were screaming," the witness reported, recounting her panic while searching for keys to the section where the screaming was most intense.

The regional Catholic diocese stated that the "attackers acted aggressively and uninterrupted for almost three hours, searching sleeping quarters."

Public Response and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried guardians were picking up their students from schools following the shutdown directive.

One parent, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, voiced her shock at the magnitude of the abduction, asking how 300 students could be taken simultaneously.

She stated that the "government is failing to act to address insecurity," and voiced support for external assistance to "resolve this crisis."

Continuing Security Challenges

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

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

These groups maintain camps in vast woodland areas straddling several states in the west of Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no ideological leanings and are primarily motivated by financial gain, their growing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant source of concern for officials and experts alike.