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Armed attackers have seized over 300 pupils and educators in what appears to be the largest group abductions in modern Nigerian times, according to a Christian organization on Saturday.

Escalating Emergency in Educational Institutions

The Friday morning attack on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state occurred just days after gunmen invaded a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, seizing 25 girls.

Initial accounts had indicated 227 individuals were seized, but revised figures were released after a thorough assessment confirmed that 303 students and 12 teachers had been kidnapped.

The taken children, aged between eight and 18 years, constitute nearly half of the school's total enrollment of 629.

Official Response and Safety Actions

State authorities have announced that intelligence departments and law enforcement are currently performing a comprehensive census to verify the exact number of abducted people.

In reaction to the growing security concerns, the state government has ordered the shutting of every schools in the state, with nearby states adopting comparable preventive actions.

Furthermore, the federal education department has directed the provisional closure of 47 boarding secondary schools throughout the country.

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

Recent Violent Events

The educational institution abductions constitute the most recent in a sequence of safety breaches that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a church in the west of Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and abducted many worshipers during a live-streamed service.

These events have occurred against the background of global focus on Nigeria's security situation.

Historical Background

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the legacy of the large-scale abduction of almost 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with several of those girls still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Accounts

In a concerning video clip circulated by religious groups, a upset worker recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and cars before experiencing "violent banging" on multiple gates of the compound.

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

The local Catholic diocese stated that the "attackers operated aggressively and uninterrupted for almost three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Citizen Reaction and Fears

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

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

She stated that the "government is not doing enough to combat the security crisis," and expressed support for external assistance to "salvage this crisis."

Ongoing Safety Issues

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

While no group has taken credit for the recent attacks, criminal groups seeking ransom payments often target schools in rural areas where protection is inadequate.

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

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