Five migrant workers from Jharkhand have been abducted in the West African country of Niger, The New Indian Express reported on Monday.

The workers had migrated to Niger to work for the Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited Company in January 2024. All five hail from the Dondlo and Mundro panchayats in Jharkhand’s Giridih district.

They were kidnapped on Friday after an armed group raided the camp where they were working. The group took away six persons, including a local resident, at gunpoint after killing twelve security personnel deputed at the site, The New Indian Express quoted other migrant workers as saying.

It was not immediately known who was responsible for the abduction. The workers were identified as Sanjay Mahto, Chandrika Mahto, Raju Mahto, Faljit Mahto and Uttam Mahto.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Hemant Soren urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene in the matter.

“Honourable Union External Affairs Minister, respected Shri @DrSJaishankar ji, I request you to please provide help to our migrant brothers from Jharkhand who have been kidnapped in Niger, as per the information,” Soren said on X.

Sanjay Mahto’s wife told The New Indian Express that the last time she received a call from her husband was at 10 am on Friday, after which his phone has been switched off.

“We have been told by others working with him that he has been kidnapped,” the newspaper quoted her as saying. “I appeal to the government to make arrangements for his safe return.”

After the incident came to light, former Bagodar MLA Vinod Kumar Singh met the families of the workers and informed senior officials about the incident, NDTV reported.

“We have informed the senior officer from here as well as the overseas cell,” NDTV quoted Sub-Divisional Magistrate Narendra Prasad Gupta as saying. “Since not much has been reported in the Indian media regarding this, we are still finding out everything at our level. We are also wishing for everyone’s safety and the administration is standing with everyone’s family.”