Hussaini Aliyu, Chairman of Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, has dismissed claims by U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore that the kidnapped Maga schoolgirls were taken from a Christian community.
Aliyu clarified that all the abducted girls are Muslims and cautioned the lawmaker against making unverified comments that could fuel religious or ethnic division at a time when the government is concentrating on securing their release.
He added that the Zuru Emirate, which includes the Maga community, has never experienced any religious conflict.
He wondered why the US lawmaker chose to make comments that portray Nigeria in a negative light.
To put fully refute the claims by the US lawmaker, the chairman released the names of the abducted girls as follows:
Senior Secondary School 2A
1. Fatima Sani Zimri
2. Hafsat Ibrahim
3. Nana Firdausi Jibril
4. Masauda Yakubu Romo
Senior Secondary School 2B
5. Hauwa Saleh
6. Hauwau Umar Imam
Senior Secondary School 3A & 3B
7. Salima Garba Umar
8. Salima Sani Zimri
9. Amina G. Umar
10. Rashida Muhammad Dingu
11. Saliha Umar
12. Aisha Usman
13. Jamila Iliyasu
14. Maryam Illiyasu
15. Najaatu Abdullahi
16. Zainab Kolo
Junior Secondary School 3A
17. Surraya Tukur
18. Hafsat Umar Yalmo
19. Maryam Usman
20. Amina Illiyasu
21. Ikilima Suleman
Junior Secondary School 2
22. Khadija Nazifi
23. Hauwa’u Iliyasu
24. Hauwa’u Lawali
25. Ummum umm
He claimed that, the the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, was killed while trying to prevent the bandits from taking the girls away.
The police said that a combined tactical team were deployed to comb the forest in a bid to rescue the girls.
President Bola Tinubu, who had since condemned the attack and commiserated with the families of those affected, postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg in South Africa and Luanda, Angola, to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders and the 7th AU-EU Summit, respectively.
He also directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kebbi and meet with those affected on his behalf.