ABUJA, Nigeria—The Nigerian military announced Thursday the release of a senior official,
a year after he was kidnapped by an armed group near the Libyan border.
The army said in a statement issued in this regard, confirming the liberation of Amadou Torda,
He is an officer in the Nigerian Army and formerly served as Governor of Bilma District,
Along with four of his companions (two gendarmes and two National Guard soldiers), after more than a year of detention.
Turda and his companions were kidnapped on June 21, 2024, near the city of Dirkou, located in the Agadez region in the north of the country.
This was during an ambush set up by the “Patriots’ Front for Justice” (FPJ),
It is an armed group active in northern Niger and on the border with Libya. After a period of detention,
They were transported across the border into Libyan territory and were recently released in the southern Libyan city of Qatrun.
The release of the Nigerien officials came just one day after the kidnapping of an American pilot named Kevin Rideout in the capital, Niamey.
At a time when a number of foreign nationals are still being held
by terrorist groups operating in various regions of Niger, particularly in the north and west.
This development is an indication of the fragility of the security situation in Niger,
which is facing an escalation in the activity of armed groups following the military coup in 2023.
With instability continuing along its borders with Libya, Mali and Chad.
Observers believe that the release of Torda and his companions may be
the result of local or regional mediation between Niamey and some armed groups active in the Sahara.
