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Gunmen have seized more than 300 students and teachers in what is considered the biggest group abductions in recent Nigerian experience, according to a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Crisis in Educational Institutions

The Friday morning raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria occurred just days after armed men attacked a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 female students.

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

The kidnapped pupils, aged between eight and 18 years, represent nearly 50 percent of the school's overall enrollment of 629.

Government Response and Security Measures

Local authorities have confirmed that intelligence agencies and law enforcement are presently conducting a thorough head count to verify the exact number of missing individuals.

In response to the increasing safety concerns, the local authorities has ordered the shutting of all schools in the state, with nearby states following comparable preventive actions.

Furthermore, the federal education department has directed the provisional closure of 47 boarding secondary schools across the country.

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

Recent Security Incidents

The school abductions represent the latest in a sequence of security incidents that have rocked the country, including an attack on a church in the west of Nigeria where gunmen killed two people and seized numerous congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria continues to be traumatized by the legacy of the large-scale kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a ten years ago, with several of those girls still missing.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a disturbing video clip shared by Christian organizations, a upset employee recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "forceful banging" on various gates of the compound.

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

The regional Catholic authority confirmed that the "attackers operated violently and uninterrupted for almost three hours, searching dormitories."

Public Response and Concerns

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, concerned parents were collecting their children from educational institutions following the closure directive.

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

She concluded that the "authorities is not doing enough to combat insecurity," and expressed support for external assistance to "salvage this situation."

Ongoing Safety Issues

For a long time, heavily armed bandit groups have been conducting murders and abductions for ransom in remote areas of northern and central Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While no group has taken credit for the latest attacks, bandit gangs demanding financial compensation often attack schools in countryside locations where security is weak.

These groups maintain camps in extensive forest areas straddling multiple states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no political motives and are primarily motivated by financial gain, their increasing alliance with jihadist groups from the north-east has become a significant cause of worry for officials and experts alike.