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Armed attackers have seized in excess of 300 students and teachers in what is considered the largest collective seizures in recent Nigerian experience, as stated by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Crisis in Educational Facilities

The early Friday attack on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria happened just a short time after armed men attacked a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 young women.

Earlier accounts had suggested 227 victims were seized, but updated numbers emerged after a comprehensive counting process confirmed that 303 students and 12 teachers had been kidnapped.

The kidnapped students, ranging between eight and 18 years, account for nearly 50 percent of the school's total enrollment of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Measures

Local officials have announced that intelligence agencies and law enforcement are presently conducting a comprehensive census to verify the precise number of missing individuals.

In response to the growing security concerns, the state government has ordered the closure of every schools in the state, with nearby states adopting similar preventive actions.

Furthermore, the federal education ministry has ordered the provisional closure of 47 boarding secondary schools throughout the country.

President Bola Tinubu has called off overseas commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on managing the crisis.

Recent Violent Incidents

The educational institution abductions constitute the latest in a series of safety incidents that have rocked the nation, including an assault on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two people and abducted numerous congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Background

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the memory of the mass abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with some of those victims still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Accounts

In a concerning video clip circulated by religious groups, a distraught school staff member recounted hearing the noise of bikes and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on various gates of the compound.

"Students were crying," the witness stated, recounting her fear while looking for access to the section where the crying was loudest.

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

Citizen Reaction and Concerns

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, concerned parents were picking up their students from educational institutions following the shutdown order.

One parent, a 40-year-old nurse, voiced her disbelief at the scale of the abduction, questioning how 300 students could be taken simultaneously.

She concluded that the "authorities is failing to act to curb the security crisis," and voiced support for international intervention to "resolve this situation."

Ongoing Safety Issues

For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been conducting killings and kidnappings for money in remote areas of northern and central Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, bandit gangs demanding financial compensation often target schools in countryside locations where protection is weak.

These groups maintain bases in extensive woodland areas straddling multiple states in western Nigeria.

Although these bandits have no ideological leanings and are mainly motivated by financial gain, their increasing cooperation with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of concern for officials and experts alike.