🔗 Share this article

Gunmen have abducted over 300 pupils and educators in one of the largest mass kidnappings in recent Nigerian experience, as stated by a Christian organization on the weekend.

Growing Crisis in Educational Institutions

The early Friday raid on St Mary's mixed-gender school in western Nigeria came just a short time after armed men stormed a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 girls.

Initial reports had suggested 227 victims were seized, but revised figures emerged after a thorough verification exercise established that 303 pupils and 12 educators had been kidnapped.

The kidnapped pupils, ranging between eight and 18 years, account for nearly half of the school's overall student body of 629.

Government Response and Safety Measures

State authorities have stated that intelligence agencies and law enforcement are currently performing a comprehensive assessment to determine the precise number of abducted people.

In reaction to the growing security concerns, the local authorities has mandated the shutting of all schools in the state, with neighboring states adopting similar precautionary actions.

Furthermore, the national education ministry has directed the temporary closure of 47 boarding secondary schools across the country.

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

Recent Security Events

The school abductions represent the most recent in a series of safety incidents that have rocked the nation, including an attack on a place of worship in western Nigeria where gunmen shot dead two people and abducted numerous worshipers during a online broadcast service.

These events have taken place against the background of international focus on Nigeria's safety situation.

Past Background

Nigeria remains traumatized by the legacy of the mass abduction of almost 300 schoolgirls by extremist group Boko Haram in Chibok over a decade ago, with several of those victims still missing.

Eyewitness Accounts

In a disturbing video clip shared by religious organizations, a frightened worker recounted hearing the noise of motorcycles and cars before hearing "forceful banging" on multiple gates of the school premises.

"Students were weeping," the witness said, recounting her fear while looking for access to the area where the crying was loudest.

The regional Catholic diocese confirmed that the "attackers acted aggressively and uninterrupted for almost three hours, moving through sleeping quarters."

Public Response and Fears

Meanwhile, about 600km away on the outskirts of Abuja, worried parents were picking up their students from schools following the shutdown directive.

One mother, a 40-year-old nurse, expressed her disbelief at the magnitude of the kidnapping, asking how 300 children could be taken at once.

She concluded that the "authorities is failing to act to address insecurity," and expressed approval for external intervention to "resolve this crisis."

Continuing Safety Challenges

For a long time, heavily armed criminal gangs have been carrying out murders and kidnappings for ransom in remote areas of northwest and middle Nigeria, where government control is minimal.

While nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents, criminal groups seeking financial compensation frequently target schools in countryside locations where protection is inadequate.

These groups maintain camps in vast woodland areas straddling multiple states in western Nigeria.

Although these criminals have no political motives and are mainly motivated by monetary profit, their increasing cooperation with extremist groups from the northeastern region has become a major cause of concern for officials and security analysts alike.