‘Efforts Ongoing’: Jitendra Singh Says Embassy Trying To Free Indian Kidnapped In Niger

Last Updated:July 22, 2025, 10:26 IST

Ranjit Singh, employed as a senior safety officer at Transrail Lighting Limited, was abducted on July 15 during an attack in the Dosso region, about 140 km from Niamey.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh | File Image

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said the government is making efforts to secure the release of Ranjit Singh, an Indian national from Jammu and Kashmir, who was kidnapped during a terror attack in Niger.

Ranjit Singh, employed as a senior safety officer at Transrail Lighting Limited, was abducted on July 15 during an attack in the Dosso region, about 140 km from Niamey. Two other Indian nationals were killed in the incident.

The Indian Embassy in Niamey is actively engaged with local authorities, Singh said, while sharing an official update from the Ministry of External Affairs on social media.

“Important update and followup on Ranjit Singh, hailing from district Ramban in J&K, who has gone missing in Niger. In response to continuous follow- up by my office, the Ministry of External Affairs has sent the following response based on the inputs received from the Indian Embassy in Niamay, Niger," Singh said in his X post.

“The Indian embassy in Niamay is continuously on the job and trying to get Ranjit Singh released from the alleged kidnappers," he added.

The Embassy said in a statement: “The Embassy are aware of the tragic incident where two Indian nationals lost their lives and the other (Mr. Ranjeet Singh) was kidnapped on 15 July 2025. The embassy is in contact with the host government for the repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased."

Family members said they lost contact with Ranjit Singh on the day of the attack. “We talked on WhatsApp on July 15, and since then, I have not been able to contact him. I called his management and was initially told that there is no network at the work site," his wife, Sheela Devi, told news agency PTI.

She added that she learned of his kidnapping through a friend the next day, while the company claimed he had fled into a nearby forest. “I do not know what kind of situation my husband is in. I do not have any idea about the efforts of the local government," she said.

Niger has seen a rise in attacks targeting foreign nationals, with several kidnappings reported this year. The security situation has deteriorated since a military coup in July 2023, with armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State stepping up operations, especially in rural areas.

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