Schoolgirls’ abduction didn’t occur in  Christian enclave – Kebbi govt

The Kebbi State Government has dismissed as false and misleading the claim by Rep. Riley M. Moore, a member of the United States Congress, that the tragic incident that occurred on Monday at Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State occurred in a “Christian enclave.”

This claim, reported by the Daily Post of Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, is entirely untrue and a clear misrepresentation of facts. Maga is a community predominantly dominated by Muslims, and the majority of the abducted students are Muslims, which is contrary to the claim made by the American lawmaker.

According to the report, the lawmaker’s reaction focused on the vulnerability of communities that have experienced repeated acts of violence in recent years. This is factually incorrect. Banditry in Northwestern Nigeria has overwhelmingly affected Muslim communities. These criminal groups do not discriminate based on religion.

On different occasions, these bandits attacked and killed more Muslims than Christians in their places of worship.

A recent example is the attack on Muslim worshippers in a village near Malumfashi in Katsina State, where several people were killed inside a mosque during prayers.

If religious motives drove these bandits, why then do they attack and kill Muslims while praying in mosque?

It is pertinent to note that the American lawmaker has either been misinformed or has chosen to ignore the realities on the ground.

The Kebbi State Government wishes to make it clear to the global community that terrorists in Nigeria target victims indiscriminately, irrespective of religion or political affiliation. They attack people in their homes, schools, and places of worship and sometimes block roads kill or abduct people on transit.

For over a decade, the predominantly Muslim states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa have endured sustained attacks, killings, and displacement caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. The same case in the Northwestern states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi, all with large populations of Muslims with a small population of Christians, has suffered more casualties from banditry than any other region.

We therefore urge the lawmaker, Rep. Moore, and others making similar claims to kindly verify any information and reports from Nigeria properly before making public statements that may further distort facts or fuel misunderstanding.