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Armed attackers have abducted more than 300 pupils and educators in one of the biggest mass kidnappings in modern Nigerian times, as reported by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Facilities

The early Friday raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state happened just a short time after armed men invaded a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 girls.

Earlier reports had stated 227 individuals were taken, but revised figures were released after a thorough verification exercise confirmed that 303 students and 12 instructors had been abducted.

The kidnapped children, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly 50 percent of the school's total enrollment of 629.

Government Response and Security Measures

State authorities have announced that intelligence departments and law enforcement are currently performing a comprehensive head count to verify the exact number of missing individuals.

In reaction to the increasing safety concerns, the local authorities has ordered the shutting of all schools in the region, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary measures.

Additionally, the national education ministry has directed the temporary shutting of 47 residential high schools across the country.

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

Latest Security Events

The educational institution abductions constitute the latest in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the country, including an assault on a place of worship in western Nigeria where gunmen killed two individuals and abducted many congregation members during a online broadcast service.

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

Historical Background

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with some of those victims still unaccounted for.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a concerning recording shared by religious organizations, a upset employee recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and cars before hearing "forceful banging" on various entrances of the school premises.

"Children were crying," the staff member stated, describing her fear while looking for access to the area where the screaming was loudest.

The local Catholic authority stated that the "attackers acted violently and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, searching sleeping quarters."

Citizen Reaction and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned guardians were collecting their students from educational institutions following the shutdown directive.

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her shock at the scale of the kidnapping, asking how 300 students could be abducted at once.

She stated that the "authorities is not doing enough to address the security crisis," and voiced support for international assistance to "resolve this crisis."

Continuing Safety Challenges

For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been conducting murders and abductions for money in remote areas of northern and middle Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While nobody has taken credit for the recent attacks, criminal groups seeking financial compensation often target schools in rural areas where protection is inadequate.

These groups maintain bases in extensive forest areas spanning multiple states in the west of Nigeria.

While these bandits have no political motives and are primarily driven by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant source of worry for officials and security analysts alike.