An Italian priest who was kidnapped in Niger in September 2018 has been seen in a video by Islamist militants, the AFP news agency reports the newspaper Air Info as saying.

If this is true, it is the first proof of life since his abduction, AFP adds.

AFP says that Air Info published a screenshot showing 59-year-old Catholic priest Pier Luigi Maccalli wearing grey clothes and with a long white beard.

Until now they had no evidence that the priest was still alive, communications officer for the Catholic mission in Niger Thomas Codjovi is quoted by AFP as saying.

In September 2018 residents of Bomoanga village - located more than 100km (62 miles) from the capital, Niamey - said armed men arrived and seized the priest.

The Catholic Society of African Missions (Sam) said at the time that Fr Maccalli had lived in Niger for 11 years. They said he has been actively promoting the development of education, healthcare and the training of young farmers in the southwest's Gourmancé area.

Militant Islamists are known to be active near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.