Kebbi Government Dismisses Claim that Abduction of Schoolgirls in Maga Occurred in a Christian Enclave

The Kebbi State Government has dismissed as false and misleading the claim by Rep. Riley M. Moore, 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 clear misrepresentation of facts. Maga is a predominantly dominated by Muslims community, 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 occasion, these bandits attacked and kill Muslims in their places of worship, more than the Christians. 

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 these bandits were driven by religious motives, why then do they attack and kill Muslim 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 terrorist in Nigeria target victims indiscriminately irrespective of religion or political affiliation. They attack people in their homes, schools, 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 Northwestern states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi all with large population of Muslims with few population of Christians have 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 report from Nigeria properly before making public statements that may further distort facts or fuel misunderstanding.