Lange was kidnapped by armed men riding motorcycles on April 11, 2018 near Ayorou in western Niger, in a region near the Malian border frequently hit by jihadist attacks.His Nigerien driver was freed shortly afterwards, but according to German media Lange was sold to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara group.German weekly Der Spiegel has reported that the Moroccan secret services' contacts with jihadist groups in the Sahel facilitated Lange's liberation, with the humanitarian worker repatriated on an army plane.At least four Western hostages from France, the United States, Australia and Romania are still detained in the Sahel, according to a tally only covering cases made public by their entourage or governments.Another German, priest Hans-Joachim Lohre, has been missing since late November and is widely thought to have been kidnapped, although no one has claimed responsibility."