Giridih: Five workers from Bagodar in Giridih district of Jharkhand have been kidnapped by armed criminals in West Africa's Niger.
The families of the workers said they have no clue of their whereabouts or any information even after 48 hours of the kidnapping. The workers who have been kidnapped were indentified as Sanjay Mahato, Chandrika Mahato, Raju Mahato and Faljit Mahato of Dondlo panchayat and Uttam Mahato of Mundro. On receiving information about the incident, former MLA of Bagodar Vinod Kumar Singh reached Dondlo and Mundro on Sunday and met the families of the kidnapped workers.
He assured the family members that the workers will be brought home safely. The former MLA has informed the senior officials including the Labor Department of the Jharkhand Government of the matter and demanded that steps be taken for the safe return of the workers. The families of the kidnapped workers said they had gone to Niger in January, 2024 to work in a transmission company called KPTL.
The family members said they were informed of the kidnapping by some workers of KPTL. "A group of armed criminals attacked security personnel deployed at the company's office. As a firefight ensued 12 security personnel were killed," said the family member of one of the workers. He said the five workers surrendered to the criminals and were taken away.
Bagodar SDM Narendra Gupta said there had been a terrorist attack in Niger, a West African country. "The workers have not been found yet and the company which had employed them is searching for them," he said. The SDM said several other people from Giridih work in Niger. Gupta said he is in touck with the company.
