Crime
Kebbi LG Chairman Publishes Names of Abducted Schoolgirls, Refutes Claims of “Christian Victims”
The Chairman of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area in Kebbi State, Hussaini Aliyu, has released the full list of 25 schoolgirls abducted during Monday’s attack on Government Secondary School, Maga — while strongly dismissing reports suggesting that the victims were Christian students.
Attack and Rescue Operations Underway
Armed men invaded the school in the early hours, killing a teacher and abducting several students.
The incident has heightened public frustration over rising insecurity affecting northern communities and renewed calls for stronger federal intervention.
Foreign Comment Sparks Debate
The narrative surrounding the abduction shifted after U.S. Congressman Riley Moore (West Virginia) referred to the area as a “Christian enclave,” echoing recurring international claims of Christian persecution in northern Nigeria.
Moore posted on X:
“Please join me in praying for the 25 girls who have been kidnapped and for the repose of the soul of their vice principal… We know that the attack occurred in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria. The Nigerian government must do more to end the rampant violence.”
His comments quickly drew scrutiny in Nigeria, where officials cautioned that such assertions — if inaccurate — risk heightening religious tensions.
LG Chairman: ‘Every Abducted Girl Is Muslim’
Quoting a Channels TV report, Chairman Aliyu rejected Moore’s statement as “incorrect and dangerous.” He clarified that all the abducted students are Muslims and urged foreign commentators to refrain from spreading unverified claims capable of damaging Nigeria’s image or creating sectarian mistrust.
Aliyu also emphasized that the Maga community, under the Zuru Emirate, has a longstanding history of peaceful coexistence and has never witnessed religious conflict.
List of the 25 Abducted Schoolgirls
SS2A
1. Fatima Sani Zimri
2. Hafsat Ibrahim
3. Nana Firdausi Jibril
4. Masauda Yakubu Romo
SS2B
5. Hauwa Saleh
6. Hauwa’u Umar Imam
SS3A / SS3B
7. Salima Garba Umar
8. Salima Sani Zimri
9. Amina G. Umar
10. Rashida Muhammad Dingu
11. Saliha Umar
12. Aisha Usman
13. Jamila Iliyasu
14. Maryam Illiyasu
15. Najaatu Abdullahi
16. Zainab Kolo
JSS3A
17. Surraya Tukur
18. Hafsat Umar Yalmo
19. Maryam Usman
20. Amina Illiyasu
21. Ikilima Suleman
JSS3 (Unspecified Arm)
22. Khadija Nazifi
23. Hauwa’u Iliyasu
24. Hauwa’u Lawali
25. Ummu Kulsum Abdulkarim
Presidential Response
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the attack, extended condolences to the affected families, and directed security agencies to intensify ongoing search-and-rescue efforts.
