Jammu, Jul 20: The Indian national abducted during a recent terrorist attack in Niger has been identified as Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district. His wife, Sheela Devi, made an emotional appeal on Saturday, urging the Government of India to ensure her husband’s safe and immediate release from captivity.
Ranjeet Singh, who worked as a senior safety officer with Transrail Lighting Limited, an integrated power transmission and distribution firm, went missing on July 15. According to Sheela Devi, their last conversation happened via WhatsApp on the same day, after which he became unreachable. The family initially believed it was due to network issues at the site. However, they later learned from Singh’s colleague that he had been abducted during a terror strike in Niger’s Dosso region.
The Indian Embassy confirmed the incident in a social media post, stating that two Indian nationals were killed and one was abducted in what it described as a heinous terrorist attack. Reports from Niger suggest that armed assailants targeted an army unit guarding a construction site around 130 kilometres from Niamey, the capital.
Sheela Devi said the company informed her that Singh might have fled into nearby forests during the chaos, but after several days of silence, she fears there is no genuine effort being made to locate or rescue him. A mother of three, Devi expressed frustration over the lack of communication from her husband’s employer and criticized their passive approach to the situation.
She voiced her concern about the uncertainty surrounding her husband’s condition and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene at the highest level to secure his release. Devi added that she had met Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan, who assured her of all possible help but emphasized that the Ministry of External Affairs plays the most critical role in international rescue efforts.
“I trust the Centre to act swiftly and bring my husband back safely. I cannot sit in silence while he is in danger,” she said.
Family of Indian Abducted in Niger urges Modi Government for Swift Rescue
