The Chairman of Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area in Kebbi State, Hussaini Aliyu, has rejected a claim by US lawmaker Riley Moore that the recent abduction of schoolgirls in the Maga community occurred in a Christian area.
Gatekeepers News reports that Aliyu clarified that all 25 abducted students are Muslims, urging Moore to refrain from making unverified statements that could inflame religious or ethnic tensions at a time when authorities are focused on rescuing the girls.
He stressed that the Zuru Emirate, under which the Maga community falls, “has never experienced a religious crisis,” questioning why the American politician chose to make comments that cast Nigeria in a negative light.
Aliyu also released the full list of the abducted students:
Senior Secondary School 2A
- Fatima Sani Zimri
- Hafsat Ibrahim
- Nana Firdausi Jibril
- Masauda Yakubu Romo
Senior Secondary School 2B
- Hauwa Saleh
- Hauwau Umar Imam
Senior Secondary School 3A & 3B
- Salima Garba Umar
- Salima Sani Zimri
- Amina G. Umar
- Rashida Muhammad Dingu
- Saliha Umar
- Aisha Usman
- Jamila Iliyasu
- Maryam Illiyasu
- Najaatu Abdullahi
- Zainab Kolo
Junior Secondary School 3A
- Surraya Tukur
- Hafsat Umar Yalmo
- Maryam Usman
- Amina Illiyasu
- Ikilima Suleman
Junior Secondary School 2
- Khadija Nazifi
- Hauwa’u Iliyasu
- Hauwa’u Lawali
- Ummu Kulsum Abdulkarim
The controversy began after Riley Moore, in a post on X, asked his followers to pray for the kidnapped students and the slain vice principal. Although he admitted he lacked full details of the incident, he asserted:
“While we don’t have all the details on this horrific attack, we know that the attack occurred in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria. The Nigerian government must do more to end the rampant violence.”
The attack on Monday morning claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly killed while attempting to stop the bandits from abducting the girls.
Police authorities said a combined tactical team had been deployed to comb the surrounding forests in a bid to rescue the students.
President Bola Tinubu, who condemned the attack and sympathised with the affected families, also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg and Luanda for the G20 and AU-EU summits. He directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kebbi and meet with the families on his behalf.
