A hostage from the United States was rescued early on Saturday in Nigeria by SEAL Team Six.
While the Pentagon has confirmed the rescue operation, they have not confirmed the name of the hostage. ABC News and Fox News have reported that the rescued man was Philip Wanton, who, according to multiple news outlets, was abducted from his farm in neighboring Niger several days ago.
Officials told ABC that all but one of seven captors were killed during the raid.
“U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men,” Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. “This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State. No U.S. military personnel were injured during the operation.”
Although Nigerian and American officials said the kidnapping was unlikely to be terror-related, hostages are often turned over to terrorists. Sources told ABC News that officials from both Niger and Nigeria were cooperative in the rescue effort.
In a statement released later on Saturday, the president stated that the hostage was healthy and had been reunited with his family.
“Last night, at my direction, the United States military conducted a successful operation to rescue an American hostage in Nigeria, kidnapped just 96 hours earlier. United States Special Forces executed a daring nighttime operation to rescue their fellow American with exceptional skill, precision, and bravery,” the president wrote. “Today’s operation should serve as a stark warning to terrorists and criminal thugs who mistakenly believe they can kidnap Americans with impunity.”
