A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has issued a strong condemnation following the abduction of schoolgirls in Maga, a community in the Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The lawmaker reacted after news broke that gunmen stormed Government Secondary School, Maga, killing the vice principal and whisking away 25 female students.
Moore, who shared his comments on X on Tuesday, called for prayers and expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity affecting schools in northern Nigeria.
“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.
He further stated, “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.”
His remark quickly sparked reactions online.
The lawmaker also urged Nigerian authorities to take firmer action.
According to him, the government must “do more to end the rampant violence” that continues to claim lives and disrupt communities.
The incident happened in the early hours of Monday when heavily armed bandits invaded the school premises.
Staff members were injured, the vice principal was killed on the spot, and 25 schoolgirls were taken away by the attackers.
Security personnel are currently searching nearby forests and surrounding areas in an attempt to track the kidnappers and rescue the victims.
However, Moore’s description of the community as a “Christian enclave” was immediately challenged.
A former aide to late President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, corrected him, stressing that the attack happened within a Muslim community and that the victims were also Muslims.
“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.
He added that such misrepresentations contribute to “unholy narratives” that could further strain Nigeria’s fragile unity.
The exchange comes at a time when conversations between Nigerian and U.S. officials on claims of “Christian genocide” have resurfaced, a narrative Nigerian authorities continue to reject.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has assured that every effort is being made to secure the safe return of the abducted girls.
Officials say they “share in the pain of the victims” and are working closely with security agencies to bring the students home.
