U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore has condemned the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, sparking a heated online exchange over his comments.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Moore called for prayers for the victims and the repose of the slain vice principal. “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 claimed the attack “occurred in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria.”
His remark drew swift criticism. Bashir Ahmad, former SSA on New Media to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, dismissed Moore’s assertion as misleading. Responding in the comment section, Ahmad said, “The attack did not occur in a Christian enclave. It happened within a Muslim community, and the victims themselves were Muslims.” He accused Moore of misunderstanding Nigeria’s complex security crisis or “deliberately pushing unholy narratives that risk worsening our already fragile unity.”
The attack occurred early Monday when armed bandits invaded the school, killing the vice principal, injuring staff members, and abducting 25 students.
The exchange comes amid renewed disagreements between Nigerian and U.S. officials over repeated claims of “Christian genocide,” a narrative Abuja has consistently rejected.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has assured families of its commitment to safely rescue the abducted girls, expressing deep concern and reiterating that it “shares in the pain of the victims.”
