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Armed attackers have kidnapped over 300 pupils and educators in what appears to be the most significant group abductions in modern Nigerian history, as reported by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Institutions

The pre-dawn Friday assault on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state came just days after gunmen attacked a high school in adjacent Kebbi state, taking 25 female students.

Initial reports had indicated 227 individuals were taken, but revised numbers surfaced after a comprehensive verification exercise confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been kidnapped.

The abducted students, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly 50 percent of the school's overall student population of 629.

Government Reaction and Security Actions

Local officials have announced that intelligence departments and law enforcement are presently conducting a thorough head count to determine the exact number of missing individuals.

In reaction to the increasing security fears, the state government has ordered the shutting of every schools in the state, with nearby states following comparable precautionary actions.

Furthermore, the federal education ministry has directed the temporary shutting of 47 residential high schools across the country.

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

Latest Security Events

The educational institution kidnappings represent the latest in a series of security breaches that have shaken the country, including an attack on a church in the west of Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and abducted numerous worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These incidents have taken place against the backdrop of international attention on Nigeria's safety situation.

Past Context

Nigeria remains traumatized by the legacy of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a ten years ago, with several of those victims still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a concerning video clip shared by religious groups, a upset employee described hearing the noise of bikes and vehicles before experiencing "violent banging" on various gates of the school premises.

"Students were weeping," the witness stated, describing her terror while looking for access to the section where the crying was loudest.

The local Catholic diocese confirmed that the "assailants operated aggressively and without interruption for almost three hours, searching sleeping quarters."

Public Reaction and Fears

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

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

She stated that the "authorities is not doing enough to curb the security crisis," and expressed approval for international assistance to "resolve this crisis."

Continuing Security Challenges

For years, heavily armed bandit groups have been carrying out killings and kidnappings for money in rural areas of northern and central Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While no group has taken credit for the recent incidents, bandit gangs seeking financial compensation often attack schools in countryside locations where security is inadequate.

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

While these criminals have no political motives and are mainly driven by monetary profit, their increasing alliance with jihadist groups from the north-east has become a significant cause of worry for officials and experts alike.