American Missionary Kevin Rideout Freed After Nine Months in Niger Captivity
American Christian missionary and pilot Kevin Rideout has been released after more than nine months in captivity following his abduction in Niger, bringing an end to a prolonged ordeal that had raised fears for his safety amid the worsening security crisis in the Sahel.
Rideout, who has spent 19 years working as a missionary in Niger, was abducted in the capital, Niamey, on October 21, 2025. According to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, three armed men seized him before taking him out of the capital, reportedly toward the western Tillaberi region, an area where jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have maintained a strong presence.
His organisation, Serving In Mission (SIM) International, confirmed on Friday that Rideout had regained his freedom and was in the care of U.S. officials.
The organisation said he was in good health and was expected to be reunited with his wife, children and extended family after months of uncertainty.
The circumstances surrounding his release remain unclear. The New York Times, which first reported the development, said Rideout was in the custody of the FBI and was on his way back to the United States. U.S. officials have not publicly disclosed where or how he was freed, while it also remains uncertain which group held him during his captivity.
Rideout’s disappearance had triggered an extensive security and intelligence effort. Reuters previously reported that U.S. authorities believed he may have been held in Mali by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked militant organisation operating across parts of the Sahel. However, no armed group publicly claimed responsibility for his abduction.
The kidnapping also prompted the United States to issue a security warning for Niger, citing heightened risks of terrorism, kidnapping, crime and civil unrest. His abduction underscored the growing dangers facing foreigners, aid workers and missionaries operating in one of Africa’s most volatile regions.
A trained pilot, Rideout worked with SIM International, a Christian missionary organisation operating in more than 70 countries.
He had lived and served in Niger for nearly two decades alongside his family, making his prolonged disappearance particularly significant for the missionary community.
His release comes as Niger continues to confront a severe security crisis. The country, along with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has endured years of attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
The violence has killed thousands, displaced large populations and increasingly extended beyond remote rural areas into major towns and cities.
Niger has also undergone profound political changes since a military coup in 2023, which removed the democratically elected government and strained the country’s relations with traditional Western security partners, including the United States. The junta has instead strengthened ties with Russia while facing persistent militant threats.
Against that backdrop, Rideout’s safe release represents a rare moment of relief in a region where kidnappings have become an increasingly potent weapon used by armed groups.
For his family, however, the immediate priority is personal rather than political: after more than nine months apart, Rideout is finally on his way home.
