By Sabiu Abdullahi
Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has challenged a statement by a United States congressman who described the Kebbi school attack as an assault on a “Christian enclave.”
Rep. Riley M. Moore had posted on X, calling for prayers for “the 25 girls who have been kidnapped and for the repose of the soul of their vice principal who was killed.”
He also wrote that “the attack occurred in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria,” and urged the Nigerian government to do more to curb rising violence.
Ahmad responded directly to the congressman in a post of his own. He expressed appreciation for the concern but stressed that the lawmaker’s account was incorrect.
He wrote: “While appreciating your concern and praying for our sisters, @RepRileyMoore, it is important to correct a crucial detail here, the attack did not occur in a Christian enclave. It happened within a Muslim community and the victims themselves were Muslims.”
Ahmad said the error highlighted a recurring problem. He stated that incidents like this show why Nigerians often complain that outsiders “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.”
His reaction has sparked renewed discussion around how international figures describe security incidents in Nigeria and the sensitivity required when addressing religious identity in conflict-affected communities.