🔗 Share this article

Gunmen have seized more than 300 schoolchildren and staff in what is considered the largest mass kidnappings in modern Nigerian history, according to a Christian organization on the weekend.

Escalating Crisis in Educational Institutions

The Friday morning attack on St Mary's co-educational school in western Nigeria came just a short time after gunmen stormed a high school in neighboring Kebbi state, taking 25 girls.

Earlier accounts had suggested 227 individuals were taken, but revised numbers emerged after a thorough counting process established that 303 pupils and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

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

Official Reaction and Security Actions

State officials have confirmed that security departments and police are presently performing a thorough head count to determine the exact number of abducted individuals.

In response to the growing security concerns, the state government has mandated the shutting of every schools in the region, with nearby states adopting comparable precautionary steps.

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

President Bola Tinubu has postponed international engagements, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on managing the emergency.

Latest Violent Incidents

The educational institution abductions constitute the most recent in a series of safety incidents that have shaken the nation, including an assault on a place of worship in the west of Nigeria where assailants shot dead two individuals and abducted dozens congregation members during a live-streamed service.

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

Historical Context

Nigeria remains scarred by the memory of the mass abduction of almost 300 schoolgirls by jihadist group Boko Haram in Chibok more than a decade ago, with several of those victims still unaccounted for.

Firsthand Testimonies

In a disturbing recording circulated by religious organizations, a distraught school staff member recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and cars before experiencing "forceful banging" on various gates of the compound.

"Students were screaming," the witness stated, describing her fear while searching for keys to the area where the screaming was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese confirmed that the "attackers operated violently and uninterrupted for nearly three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Citizen Response and Fears

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

One mother, a 40-year-old healthcare worker, expressed her disbelief at the scale of the kidnapping, questioning how 300 students could be taken at once.

She concluded that the "authorities is not doing enough to combat insecurity," and voiced approval for external assistance to "salvage this crisis."

Continuing Safety Challenges

For years, well-equipped criminal gangs have been conducting murders and abductions for money in rural areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where government control is limited.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, criminal groups demanding ransom payments often target schools in rural areas where protection is inadequate.

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

Although these criminals have no political motives and are primarily motivated by monetary profit, their growing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant source of concern for authorities and experts alike.