Sullivan Says 'Gratified' To See US Citizen Jeff Woodke Released After 6 Years In Niger

Sullivan Says 'Gratified' to See US Citizen Jeff Woodke Released After 6 Years in Niger

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that he is gratified and relieved to see US citizen Jeff Woodke released after being taken hostage for more than six years in Niger

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2023) US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that he is gratified and relieved to see US citizen Jeff Woodke released after being taken hostage for more than six years in Niger.

"I'm gratified and relieved to see the release of US hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity. The US thanks Niger for its help in bringing him home to all who miss and love him. I thank so many across our government who've worked tirelessly toward securing his freedom," Sullivan said via Twitter.

Woodke is a Christian humanitarian worker who was kidnapped in October 2016 in Niger when he was reportedly providing assistance in the Sahel region.

There has been no agreement among US officials involved in the case about exactly who had kidnapped Woodke, media reported.

Officials have said they lean toward the claim that Woodke was kidnapped by Nusrat al-Islam, officially known as Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin' - a militant Islamist organization in the Maghreb and West Africa that has been banned in Russia.