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Niamey (Agenzia Fides) - "At the moment we do not know anything about the condition or about the possible release of Father Pierluigi Maccalli who was kidnapped on september 17. No request has been made", says a source of the local Church in Niamey to Fides. "In these last days - continues Fides source, describing the local situation - there are many young armed groups in the Bomoanga Makalondi area, who continue to flee aboard motorcycles from nearby Burkina Faso. Some have escaped to Niger and are scattered throughout the area".
"Yesterday morning, Sunday 23 September - the source continues - a priest from Benin went to Makalondi to celebrate Mass. At the end of the celebration he had to return to Niamey. The police said that there were dangers to his safety: therefore the situation is becoming more and more confusing. According to some rumors Fr. Maccalli could still be in Niger, a prisoner and used as a human shield. But we have no guarantees on the veracity of these rumors. We continue to hope and pray and thank all the baptized who in the world are united in our prayer for the release of Fr. Pierluigi". (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2018)
