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Gunmen have abducted in excess of 300 students and teachers in what appears to be the biggest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian history, as stated by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Emergency in Educational Institutions

The early Friday assault on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria came just days after gunmen stormed a high school in adjacent Kebbi state, abducting 25 young women.

Earlier reports had suggested 227 victims were taken, but new numbers surfaced after a comprehensive counting process established that 303 students and 12 teachers had been abducted.

The abducted children, ranging between eight and 18 years, constitute nearly 50 percent of the school's total enrollment of 629.

Government Reaction and Security Measures

State officials have announced that intelligence departments and law enforcement are presently conducting a thorough assessment to determine the precise number of missing people.

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

Additionally, the national education department has directed the temporary closure of 47 residential high schools throughout the country.

President Bola Tinubu has postponed overseas commitments, including attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on managing the emergency.

Recent Violent Incidents

The educational institution kidnappings represent the most recent in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the nation, including an attack on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where assailants shot dead two people and abducted many congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the legacy of the mass abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with several of those girls still unaccounted for.

Eyewitness Testimonies

In a concerning video clip circulated by Christian organizations, a distraught worker described hearing the sounds of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "forceful banging" on various entrances of the compound.

"Children were screaming," the staff member stated, recounting her fear while looking for access to the area where the screaming was most intense.

The local Catholic authority confirmed that the "assailants operated aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Response and Concerns

At the same time, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried guardians were collecting their students from schools following the closure order.

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her disbelief at the magnitude of the abduction, questioning how 300 children could be taken at once.

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

Ongoing Safety Issues

For a long time, heavily armed bandit groups have been carrying out murders and abductions for money in rural areas of northern and central Nigeria, where government control is limited.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, criminal groups seeking ransom payments often attack schools in countryside locations where protection is weak.

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

While these bandits have no ideological leanings 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 officials and experts alike.