Italian Priest Kidnapped Overnight In Niger

An Italian priest was kidnapped on Monday in south Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso, the second abduction of a European in the West African country this year.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the kidnapping, which was confirmed on Tuesday by the Nigerian and Italian governments.

The kidnapping took place in the village of Bomanga, in the southern Makalondi district, about 125 km (80 miles) from the capital Niamey.

In a statement on Tuesday, Niamey’s Archbishop Laurent Lompo said Father Pier Luigi Maccalli was attacked and abducted by “unidentified individuals” on Monday evening.

Maccalli had been working in Bomaga for 11 years as a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA), a Roman Catholic missionary organization.

Italy’s embassy in Niamey has called on the local authorities to resolve the matter as quickly as possible