Kebbi LG Chairman Dismisses Claim of Christian-Targeted Attack, Publishes Names of Abducted Schoolgirls

Authorities in Kebbi State have made public the names of students abducted during the violent attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, as security agencies intensify operations to locate and rescue them.

The Chairman of Danko–Wasagu Local Government Area, Hussaini Aliyu, released the list amid widespread concern and international commentary over the incident.

Armed men stormed the school in the early hours of Monday, breaching the perimeter after a brief exchange of gunfire with police officers on duty. During the attack, the school’s vice-principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed while attempting to shield students from the assailants. At least 25 girls were taken, according to local authorities.

Reacting to claims by U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore that the victims were Christian schoolgirls, Aliyu strongly rejected the narrative, insisting it was inaccurate and capable of inflaming religious tensions.

He clarified that all the abducted students are Muslims and emphasized that the Zuru Emirate, where Maga is located, has no record of religious crises.

To ensure transparency and support rescue efforts, the LG chairman released the official names of the abducted students:

SS2A
• Fatima Sani Zimri
• Hafsat Ibrahim
• Nana Firdausi Jibril
• Masauda Yakubu Romo

SS2B
• Hauwa Saleh
• Hauwau Umar Imam

SS3A / SS3B
• Salima Garba Umar
• Salima Sani Zimri
• Amina G. Umar
• Rashida Muhammad Dingu
• Saliha Umar
• Aisha Usman
• Jamila Iliyasu
• Maryam Illiyasu
• Najaatu Abdullahi
• Zainab Kolo

JS3A
• Surraya Tukur
• Hafsat Umar Yalmo
• Maryam Usman
• Amina Illiyasu
• Ikilima Suleman

JS2
• Khadija Nazifi
• Hauwa’u Iliyasu
• Hauwa’u Lawali
• Ummu Kulsum Abdulkarim

Aliyu urged both Nigerians and international commentators to rely on verified information, stressing that mischaracterizing the abduction undermines security efforts and sows unnecessary division.

He assured the public that security agencies were combing nearby forests and communities believed to be the abductors’ escape routes.

The Kebbi State Government has vowed to support the rescue mission fully as anxious families await updates on the fate of the missing girls.