Wife of kidnapped U.S. missionary pleads for update

Els Woodke, the wife of an American missionary kidnapped last year from Niger, has released a video asking for any update on her husband. Woodke’s video comes after an al-Qaeda-linked affiliate in Mali released a proof-of-life video of several foreign hostages that did not include her husband, Jeff Woodke. Gunmen kidnapped Jeff from his home in Niger on Oct. 14, 2016. He worked with a Niger-based partner of Youth With A Mission to assist ethnic herdsmen battling drought and lack of education. Security officials said the assailants drove Jeff to Mali, but no groups have offered any updates since then. In the proof-of-life video released earlier this month, Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen called on the families of the hostages to make efforts to rescue them. Els, who said her husband was not mentioned in the video, called on the group to contact her. “However you do, please tell me about my husband,” Els said. “If you don’t have my husband, please tell me who does.”