🔗 Share this article

Armed attackers have abducted over 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the largest collective seizures in modern Nigerian history, as stated by a Christian organization on Saturday.

Growing Crisis in School Institutions

The pre-dawn Friday attack on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria occurred just days after gunmen stormed a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, taking 25 young women.

Earlier reports had indicated 227 individuals were seized, but revised figures were released after a detailed assessment determined that 303 students and 12 teachers had been abducted.

The abducted children, ranging between eight and 18 years, represent nearly 50 percent of the school's total enrollment of 629.

Official Reaction and Security Actions

Local officials have announced that security agencies and law enforcement are presently performing a thorough assessment to establish the exact number of missing individuals.

In response to the growing safety fears, the local authorities has directed the closure of every schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar preventive actions.

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

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

Recent Violent Events

The school kidnappings constitute the latest in a series of safety breaches that have shaken the country, including an attack on a church in western Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two people and seized numerous congregation members during a online broadcast service.

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

Historical Background

Nigeria continues to be scarred by the legacy of the large-scale kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with several of those victims still unaccounted for.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a disturbing video clip shared by Christian groups, a frightened employee described hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before experiencing "forceful banging" on multiple entrances of the compound.

"Children were crying," the staff member stated, describing her fear while searching for access to the section where the screaming was loudest.

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

Public Reaction and Fears

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

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

She stated that the "government is failing to act to address insecurity," and voiced support for external intervention to "resolve this crisis."

Ongoing Safety Issues

For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have been carrying out killings and kidnappings for money in remote areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where government control is limited.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, criminal groups seeking ransom payments frequently attack schools in countryside locations where protection is inadequate.

These groups maintain bases in vast forest areas straddling several states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no political motives and are primarily motivated by monetary profit, their increasing alliance with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of worry for authorities and security analysts alike.