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Armed attackers have seized over 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the largest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian times, as reported by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Crisis in School Facilities

The Friday morning assault on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria occurred just a short time after armed men invaded a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 female students.

Initial accounts had indicated 227 victims were taken, but new numbers were released after a thorough assessment confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 teachers had been kidnapped.

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

Official Response and Safety Actions

State authorities have confirmed that security agencies and law enforcement are presently performing a thorough census to verify the exact number of missing people.

In reaction to the increasing security concerns, the local authorities has directed the shutting of every schools in the region, with neighboring states adopting similar preventive actions.

Additionally, the federal education department has ordered the provisional closure of 47 boarding secondary schools across the country.

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

Latest Security Incidents

The school abductions constitute the latest in a series of security incidents that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two individuals and seized numerous worshipers during a live-streamed service.

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

Past Background

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the memory of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with several of those victims still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Accounts

In a disturbing recording circulated by Christian groups, a distraught school staff member described hearing the sounds of motorcycles and cars before experiencing "forceful banging" on various entrances of the school premises.

"Students were weeping," the witness reported, recounting her fear while searching for access to the area where the screaming was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese confirmed that the "attackers operated aggressively and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, searching sleeping quarters."

Public Response and Concerns

At the same time, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned guardians were collecting their children from schools following the shutdown directive.

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

She concluded that the "authorities is failing to act to curb insecurity," and voiced approval for international assistance to "salvage this situation."

Ongoing Safety Issues

For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been carrying out killings and abductions for ransom in remote areas of northwest and middle Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, bandit gangs seeking financial compensation frequently attack schools in rural areas where protection is weak.

These gangs maintain camps in vast forest areas straddling multiple states in western Nigeria.

Although these bandits have no political motives and are primarily motivated by financial gain, their increasing alliance with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a major cause of worry for authorities and experts alike.