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Gunmen have seized over 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the most significant group abductions in modern Nigerian times, according to a Christian organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Facilities

The pre-dawn Friday assault on St Mary's mixed-gender school in Niger state came just days after gunmen stormed a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 girls.

Earlier reports had indicated 227 victims were seized, but updated numbers were released after a thorough counting process established that 303 pupils and 12 educators had been abducted.

The kidnapped pupils, ranging between eight and 18 years, represent nearly 50 percent of the school's total student body of 629.

Government Reaction and Safety Actions

Local authorities have announced that intelligence departments and police are presently conducting a comprehensive assessment to establish the exact number of missing individuals.

In response to the increasing safety concerns, the state government has mandated the shutting of every schools in the state, with nearby states adopting similar precautionary measures.

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

President Bola Tinubu has called off overseas engagements, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on managing the situation.

Latest Violent Events

The school abductions represent the latest in a sequence of safety incidents that have rocked the country, including an assault on a place of worship in western Nigeria where gunmen killed two people and seized dozens congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Background

Nigeria remains traumatized by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a ten years ago, with some of those girls still missing.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a disturbing video clip circulated by Christian organizations, a distraught school staff member recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on various entrances of the school premises.

"Students were screaming," the staff member stated, describing her panic while looking for access to the area where the crying was most intense.

The local Catholic diocese stated that the "assailants operated violently and without interruption for nearly three hours, searching dormitories."

Citizen Reaction and Fears

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

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her shock at the magnitude of the abduction, asking how 300 students could be taken simultaneously.

She stated that the "authorities is not doing enough to combat the security crisis," and voiced support for international intervention to "salvage this situation."

Continuing Safety Challenges

For a long time, heavily armed bandit groups have been conducting killings and kidnappings for money in remote areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, bandit gangs seeking financial compensation frequently target schools in countryside locations where protection is weak.

These gangs maintain camps in vast forest areas spanning several states in western Nigeria.

While these bandits have no political motives and are primarily driven by monetary profit, their increasing alliance with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a major source of worry for officials and experts alike.