Politics
NEW: American Missionary Kidnapped By ISIS-Linked Militants
The U.S. State Department confirmed that an American Christian missionary in the West African nation of Niger has been kidnapped by Islamic extremists, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News.
According to the sources, it is believed that the missionary was abducted by militants affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS) groups in the region. Many prominent jihadist groups in West Africa, which control significant amounts of territory in the north of Niger and its neighbors, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2015.
“We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in Niamey, Niger,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. “Since we were alerted of the situation, our Embassy officials have been working with local authorities. It is a top priority for the Trump Administration to look after the safety of every American, and we are seeing efforts from across the U.S. Government to support the recovery and safe return of this U.S. citizen.”
The missionary is a pilot for the evangelical missionary agency Serving in Mission, according to a report from Reuters. The kidnapping took place just 100 yards from the presidential palace in Niamey, where former President Mohamed Bazoum has been confined after he was ousted in a military coup two years ago.
Niger is one of several West African nations currently governed by a pro-Russia military government after a string of coups in 2023
Following the abduction, the U.S. embassy in Niger announced that all personnel would now be required to travel only in armored cars. Embassy staff are also forbidden from traveling to restaurants and open-air markets anywhere in the country.
The latest incident follows a string of kidnappings that have occurred in West African nations plagued by ISIS-led insurgencies. An Australian woman was abducted in Niger this past January, while a Swiss national was abducted in April, Reuters reported.
In addition, five Indian citizens working for a company providing services to Niger’s Kandadji dam project were abducted during an armed assault that killed several soldiers.
As of late 2025, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS, also known as the Islamic State Sahel Province or ISSP) and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) control significant amounts of territory in rural, border and semi-rural areas in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and other nations spread across the Sahel region. In Niger, ISIS-linked militants control an estimated 20 percent of territory in the country.
