Kebbi School Abductions: Nigeria Refutes US Lawmaker’s Claim as Shettima Visits Victims’ Families

Nigeria has rejected a claim by US lawmaker Riley Moore suggesting that the abduction of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, happened in a “Christian community.”

The Chairman of Danko-Wasagu LGA, Hussaini Aliyu, said the comment was false and dangerous, stressing that all 25 abducted students from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, are Muslims. He warned that misleading foreign statements could inflame religious tensions in a community that has never recorded a crisis of that nature.

Aliyu released the names of the kidnapped students and confirmed that one had escaped. The attack, carried out early Monday, left the school’s vice principal, Hassan Makuku, dead while trying to protect the girls. Security teams and local hunters have since been deployed to search surrounding forests.

Moore had posted online urging prayers for the victims but admitted he did not have full details of the incident. Nigerian officials say his claim wrongly paints the country as being in religious conflict.

In response to the tragedy, President Bola Tinubu cancelled two foreign trips and sent Vice President Kashim Shettima to Kebbi on Wednesday. Shettima met the governor, traditional rulers, security agencies, and families of the victims, assuring them that the Federal Government is committed to the safe return of the girls and improved security around schools.

The incident has renewed concerns over persistent bandit attacks across the northwest.