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Armed attackers have kidnapped over 300 students and teachers in what is considered the largest mass kidnappings in modern Nigerian history, as reported by a religious organization on Saturday.

Escalating Crisis in School Facilities

The pre-dawn Friday raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state occurred just a short time after armed men stormed a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, taking 25 female students.

Earlier reports had stated 227 individuals were seized, but updated figures surfaced after a thorough verification exercise confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 teachers had been kidnapped.

The abducted children, ranging between eight and 18 years, constitute nearly 50 percent 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 conducting a thorough head count to determine the exact number of abducted individuals.

In response to the growing security fears, the local authorities has mandated the shutting of all schools in the region, with neighboring states following similar precautionary actions.

Furthermore, the national education ministry has directed the provisional closure of 47 residential high schools across the country.

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

Recent Security Incidents

The school abductions represent the most recent in a sequence of security breaches that have rocked the nation, including an assault on a church in western Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and abducted dozens worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These incidents have occurred against the background of international focus on Nigeria's security situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of nearly 300 female students by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with some of those girls still missing.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a disturbing recording circulated by religious organizations, a distraught worker described hearing the noise of bikes and cars before hearing "forceful banging" on multiple entrances of the compound.

"Students were weeping," the staff member reported, describing her terror while searching for access to the area where the screaming was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese stated that the "attackers acted aggressively and without interruption for almost three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Reaction and Fears

At the same time, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned guardians were picking up their students from educational institutions following the closure directive.

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

She concluded that the "government is not doing enough to curb insecurity," and expressed approval for international assistance to "salvage this crisis."

Ongoing Security Issues

For a long time, well-equipped bandit groups have been carrying out killings and kidnappings for money in remote areas of northwest and middle Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While no group has taken credit for the latest incidents, criminal groups demanding financial compensation often attack schools in rural areas where security is inadequate.

These gangs maintain camps in extensive woodland areas straddling multiple states in western Nigeria.

While these criminals have no ideological leanings and are primarily driven by monetary profit, their increasing alliance with jihadist groups from the north-east has become a significant source of concern for officials and security analysts alike.