Gunmen seize 315 in Nigerian mass school kidnapping

ABUJA

Gunmen have kidnapped more than 300 students and teachers in one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigeria, a Christian group said on Nov. 22, as security fears mounted in Africa's most populous nation.

The raid on St. Mary's co-education school in Niger state in western Nigeria came after gunmen last week stormed a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 girls.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had earlier reported 227 people seized, but the new number came "after a verification exercise" that concluded 303 students and 12 teachers were abducted.

The number of boys and girls, aged between eight and 18 years, kidnapped from St Mary's is almost half of the school's student population of 629.

Niger state governor Mohammed Umar announced the closure of all schools in his state as attention focuses on rescuing the students and teachers. Nearby states have also shuttered all their schools as a precautionary measure.

The Education Ministry has also ordered 47 boarding secondary schools across the country be shut.

Nigeria is still scarred by the kidnapping of nearly 300 girls by Boko Haram jihadists at Chibok in northeastern Borno state more than a decade ago. Some of those girls are still missing.