Armed bandits have abducted 303 pupils and 12 staff members from St Mary's Catholic School in Niger State, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The victims include children aged between 10 and 18 years old.
The raid occurred on Friday at the private Catholic institution, with some pupils initially evading capture.
However, 88 of these students were subsequently seized whilst attempting to flee, according to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the state CAN chairman, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna.
Atori also revealed an additional 88 students “were also captured after they tried to escape”, with both male and female students being targeted
The final tally emerged following a comprehensive count conducted after the chairman visited the school to meet affected parents.
Initial reports had suggested 215 pupils were missing before the updated figure confirmed the larger scale of the abduction.
This latest incident forms part of a broader pattern of violence across northern Nigeria.
Earlier this week, attackers targeted a church in neighbouring Kwara State, killing at least two people and kidnapping multiple worshippers, including the pastor.
Armed bandits have abducted 303 pupils and 12 staff members from St Mary's Catholic School in Niger State, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria
|REUTERS
A girls' boarding school in northwestern Kebbi State also suffered an assault this week.
Twenty-five female students were taken, and the vice principal was fatally shot during the raid.
Following Friday's mass abduction, authorities have temporarily shut various federal and state-operated schools across northern Nigeria. The closures aim to prevent additional attacks on educational institutions.
Niger State's government has denounced the assault on St Mary's School, with local police confirming on Friday that security personnel have been dispatched to the region and are "combing the forests" in their efforts to locate and recover the kidnapped students and teachers.
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The mass kidnapping has deeply affected families with personal connections to the attacks.
Eze Gloria Chidinma, a Nigerian content creator whose younger sister attends the school and escaped during the raid, expressed profound scepticism about government efforts.
"It's traumatic," she told the Associated Press. "I really do not believe in the authorities, to be very honest."
Chidinma's family has experienced kidnapping before, with her mother and elder brother taken in a separate incident last year.
She believes authorities "are not doing enough" to prevent school abductions.
Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread violence from armed groups who abduct civilians for ransom payments.
The nation also confronts religiously motivated assaults and conflicts arising from ethnic and communal disputes.
Additional tensions emerge from clashes between farmers and herders competing for scarce land and water resources.
These various forms of violence have created a complex security crisis affecting vulnerable populations across the country.
Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread violence from armed groups who abduct civilians for ransom payments
|REUTERS
The recent spate of attacks has captured Washington's attention, with US President Donald Trump designating Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the US International Religious Freedom Act earlier this month.
This classification indicates Mr Trump believes Nigeria has permitted "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom".
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met Nigeria's National Security Advisor Mallam Nuhu Ribadu on Thursday "to discuss the horrific violence against Christians in their country".
Mr Hegseth stated the Department of War is "working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists" under Mr Trump's leadership.