🔗 Share this article

Gunmen have seized over 300 pupils and educators in what appears to be the largest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian history, as stated by a religious organization on the weekend.

Escalating Emergency in Educational Facilities

The early Friday attack on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state happened just days after armed men invaded a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, taking 25 girls.

Initial reports had indicated 227 individuals were taken, but revised figures were released after a thorough counting process determined that 303 pupils and 12 instructors had been abducted.

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

Official Response and Safety Measures

Local authorities have announced that intelligence departments and law enforcement are currently conducting a comprehensive head count to establish the exact number of missing individuals.

In response to the increasing security concerns, the state government has mandated the shutting of all schools in the region, with neighboring states adopting similar preventive steps.

Additionally, the national education ministry has ordered the provisional shutting of 47 boarding secondary schools throughout the country.

President Bola Tinubu has called off overseas commitments, including participation at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to concentrate on addressing the crisis.

Recent Security Incidents

The school abductions constitute the latest in a series of security breaches that have rocked the nation, including an attack on a church in the west of Nigeria where gunmen killed two individuals and abducted dozens worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These events have occurred against the background of global attention on Nigeria's safety situation.

Historical Background

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

Eyewitness Testimonies

In a disturbing recording shared by religious groups, a frightened worker recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and vehicles before hearing "forceful banging" on multiple gates of the school premises.

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

The regional Catholic diocese stated that the "attackers acted aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, moving through dormitories."

Citizen Reaction and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the periphery of Abuja, concerned guardians were collecting their students from educational institutions following the closure order.

One parent, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her shock at the scale of the abduction, questioning how 300 children could be abducted simultaneously.

She stated that the "government is not doing enough to address the security crisis," and voiced support for international intervention to "resolve this crisis."

Ongoing Safety Challenges

For a long time, well-equipped bandit groups have been conducting killings and kidnappings for ransom in remote areas of northwest and central Nigeria, where state presence is minimal.

While no group has taken credit for the latest incidents, criminal groups seeking financial compensation often target schools in rural areas where security is weak.

These groups maintain bases in vast woodland areas spanning several states in the west of Nigeria.

Although these bandits have no ideological leanings and are primarily driven by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with jihadist groups from the northeastern region has become a significant cause of worry for officials and security analysts alike.