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Gunmen have seized in excess of 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the most significant group abductions in recent Nigerian times, as reported by a Christian organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in School Institutions

The Friday morning raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria came just a short time after gunmen invaded a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, taking 25 young women.

Initial accounts had suggested 227 victims were seized, but updated figures surfaced after a thorough assessment confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been abducted.

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

Official Response and Security Measures

Local authorities have confirmed that security departments and law enforcement are presently performing a thorough census to determine the precise number of abducted people.

In response to the increasing security fears, the local authorities has ordered the shutting of all schools in the state, with nearby states adopting similar preventive actions.

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

President Bola Tinubu has postponed overseas engagements, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on handling the crisis.

Latest Security Incidents

The school kidnappings represent the latest in a series of security incidents that have shaken the country, including an attack on a church in western Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and seized dozens worshipers during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Background

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the legacy of the mass kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with some of those victims still missing.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing video clip circulated by religious groups, a frightened school staff member recounted hearing the sounds of motorcycles and vehicles before hearing "forceful banging" on various entrances of the compound.

"Students were crying," the witness reported, recounting her panic while searching for access to the area where the crying was loudest.

The local Catholic diocese confirmed that the "assailants acted violently and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Citizen Reaction and Fears

At the same time, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned parents were collecting their students from educational institutions following the shutdown directive.

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

She concluded that the "government is not doing enough to combat the security crisis," and voiced support for external intervention to "salvage this crisis."

Continuing Security Issues

For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been carrying out murders and kidnappings for ransom in remote areas of northern and central Nigeria, where state presence is limited.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks, bandit gangs seeking financial compensation often target schools in rural areas where security is inadequate.

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

While these criminals have no political motives and are primarily driven by financial gain, their growing alliance with extremist groups from the north-east has become a major source of concern for officials and experts alike.