U.S. Congressman Condemns Kebbi School Attack, Kidnap Of 25 Girls

A United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has condemned the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Moore described the attack as tragic and urged the public to pray for the victims.

“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,” he wrote.

Moore urged the Nigerian authorities to act decisively, saying, “The Nigerian government must do more to end the rampant violence.”

The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday when armed bandits stormed the school, killing the vice principal, injuring members of staff and abducting 25 students.

However, Moore’s claim that the incident happened in a “Christian enclave” sparked backlash on the platform.

Bashir Ahmad, a former Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, faulted the congressman’s statement.

“While appreciating your concern and praying for our sisters, it is important to correct a crucial detail here, the attack did not occur in a Christian enclave,” Ahmad wrote.

“It happened within a Muslim community, and the victims themselves were Muslims. This is precisely why we keep saying that even you, Americans, either do not understand the complexity of Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, or you are deliberately pushing unholy narratives that risk worsening our already fragile unity,” he added.

The exchange highlights ongoing disagreements between Nigerian and U.S. stakeholders over claims of religiously motivated violence in the region.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has promised swift action to rescue the abducted students, saying it “shares in the pain of the victims” and is committed to ensuring their safe return.