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Gunmen have abducted more than 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the largest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian experience, as stated by a Christian organization on the weekend.

Growing Crisis in Educational Facilities

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

Initial accounts had stated 227 victims were seized, but new figures were released after a comprehensive counting process determined that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been abducted.

The kidnapped pupils, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly half of the school's overall enrollment of 629.

Official Reaction and Safety Measures

State authorities have confirmed that intelligence agencies and law enforcement 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 ordered the closure of all schools in the region, with nearby states adopting similar preventive actions.

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

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

Latest Security Incidents

The school abductions represent the most recent in a sequence 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 seized many worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These events have occurred against the backdrop of international focus on Nigeria's security situation.

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the legacy of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with some of those girls still missing.

Firsthand Accounts

In a disturbing video clip shared by Christian organizations, a distraught school staff member recounted hearing the noise of bikes and vehicles before hearing "forceful banging" on various entrances of the school premises.

"Students were crying," the staff member said, recounting her fear while searching for access to the area where the crying was loudest.

The regional Catholic authority stated that the "assailants acted violently and without interruption for almost three hours, moving through dormitories."

Public Reaction and Concerns

At the same time, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, concerned parents were collecting their students from schools following the closure directive.

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her disbelief at the scale of the abduction, asking how 300 children could be abducted simultaneously.

She stated that the "authorities is failing to act to address insecurity," and voiced approval for external intervention to "salvage this crisis."

Continuing Security Issues

For years, well-equipped bandit groups have been conducting murders and kidnappings for money in remote areas of northern and central Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While nobody has taken credit for the recent attacks, bandit gangs demanding financial compensation frequently target schools in countryside locations where protection is inadequate.

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

Although these criminals have no ideological leanings and are mainly motivated by financial gain, their growing cooperation with extremist groups from the north-east has become a major cause of worry for officials and experts alike.