Kebbi Official Confirms All Abducted Schoolgirls Are Muslims, Refutes US Lawmaker’s Claims
The chairman of Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area in Kebbi State has strongly disputed claims by US lawmaker Riley Moore that the mass abduction of schoolgirls occurred in a Christian community, releasing the names of all 25 victims to prove they are Muslims.
Hussaini Aliyu said the misinformation risks inflaming religious tensions at a critical time when authorities are working to rescue the girls, who were kidnapped from their school in Maga community on Monday.
“All the abducted schoolgirls are Muslims,” Aliyu stated, urging Moore to “desist from making unverifiable statements capable of dividing the nation along religious or ethnic lines” during the rescue operation.
## Counter-Narrative With Evidence
The local government chairman emphasized that Maga community falls under the Zuru Emirate, which has never experienced religious conflict. He questioned why the American legislator would make comments that cast Nigeria in a negative light without verifying basic facts.
To counter the narrative, Aliyu released the full list of the 25 abducted students, whose names reflect their Muslim identity:
Senior Secondary School 2A:
1. Fatima Sani Zimri
2. Hafsat Ibrahim
3. Nana Firdausi Jibril
4. Masauda Yakubu Romo
Senior Secondary School 2B:
5. Hauwa Saleh
6. Hauwau Umar Imam
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Senior Secondary School 3A & 3B:
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
Junior Secondary School 3A:
17. Surraya Tukur
18. Hafsat Umar Yalmo
19. Maryam Usman
20. Amina Illiyasu
21. Ikilima Suleman
Junior Secondary School 2:
22. Khadija Nazifi
23. Hauwa’u Iliyasu
24. Hauwa’u Lawali
25. Ummu Kulsum Abdulkarim
US Lawmaker’s Disputed Claims
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Moore had urged his followers to pray for the girls while claiming the attack occurred “in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria,” despite acknowledging he did not have full details about the incident.
“Please join me in praying for the 25 girls who have been kidnapped and for the repose of the soul of their vice principal who was killed,” Moore wrote Tuesday. “The Nigerian government must do more to end the rampant violence.”
The attack claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly killed while attempting to prevent the bandits from abducting the students.
Police deployed a combined tactical team to comb surrounding forests in search of the girls.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and postponed scheduled international trips to South Africa and Angola for the G20 Summit and AU-EU Summit respectively, to focus on the crisis. He directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kebbi and meet with affected families on his behalf.
Local officials emphasized that accurate information is crucial during rescue operations and called on international observers to verify facts before making public statements that could complicate efforts or deepen divisions in an already tense situation.
By PRNigeria
