Ex-presidential aide faults U.S. lawmaker’s remarks on abduction of Kebbi schoolgirls

A former presidential aide has faulted a comment by a United States lawmaker on Monday’s abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

The congressman, Riley Moore, had condemned the abduction of the schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Mr Moore described the attack as “horrific” and called for prayers for the students and the school’s vice principal who was killed during the invasion.

“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 added that while all details were yet to be known, “the attack occurred in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria,” and urged the Nigerian government to do more to stem “rampant violence.”

His characterisation of the community, however, drew swift criticism from some Nigerians, who accused him of misrepresenting the facts.

Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, responded under the lawmaker’s post, saying the incident did not occur in a Christian-majority area.

“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,” Mr 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.”

The exchange comes amid renewed tensions over long-standing claims from some U.S. officials and advocacy groups alleging “Christian genocide” in parts of Nigeria — a claim Nigerian authorities have repeatedly rejected as inaccurate and harmful.

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

Meanwhile, the federal government has promised to ensure the safe return of the abducted girls, saying it “shares in the pain of the victims” and is working with security agencies to secure their release.