An American missionary pilot has been abducted in Niamey, the capital of the Republic of Niger, in what security officials have described as a daring operation that occurred just a short distance from the presidential palace.
Multiple security sources confirmed to CBS News that the incident happened late Tuesday night in the Plateau district — one of the most heavily guarded areas of the city — barely 100 yards from the presidential complex where ousted President Mohamed Bazoum remains detained following the July 2023 coup.
The victim, identified as a longtime missionary who has worked in Niger since 2010 under a U.S.-based Christian charity, was reportedly attacked by three armed men. The assailants stormed his residence, subdued his security guard, and abducted him before fleeing the scene.
According to Reuters, the missionary is a pilot with the evangelical organisation Serving in Mission. A diplomat who spoke anonymously said he was taken while heading to the airport.
Security alerts circulating among local officials revealed that the kidnappers escaped in a vehicle, and the victim’s phone was later traced to a location about 56 miles north of Niamey — an area known to host Islamic State–linked militants who operate along Niger’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abduction, and neither the Nigerien authorities nor the U.S. Embassy in Niamey has issued an official statement. The U.S. Department of State is said to be making efforts to verify the incident and gather more information.
The kidnapping comes amid growing insecurity in Niger, where General Abdourahamane Tiani, who seized power in 2023, has struggled to contain jihadist violence spreading across the Sahel region.
Sources further disclosed that former President Bazoum remains confined within the presidential palace complex under harsh conditions, limited to two windowless rooms with minimal outside contact except for occasional medical visits.
Security analysts in the region suspect the attack may have been carried out by fighters loyal to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), an affiliate of ISIS known for numerous cross-border attacks in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Despite the tight military presence around the capital, Niamey’s proximity to volatile border zones — less than two hours from Mali and an hour from Burkina Faso — continues to expose it to militant incursions.
