American Missionary Freed After Nine Months in Niger

By Staff, Agencies

An American missionary abducted in Niger last year has been released after more than nine months in captivity, Christian organization Serving In Mission (SIM) said on Friday.

"Kevin is in good health and is currently in the care of US officials," the organization said, adding that he is expected to reunite with his wife Krista, their children, and other relatives soon.

Kevin Rideout, a missionary pilot, was abducted in Niger's capital, Niamey, on October 21, 2025. According to reports at the time, three unidentified men seized him before apparently taking him outside the city.

No group publicly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. The circumstances surrounding his release, including who held him and whether any agreement or ransom was involved, remain unclear.

Following Rideout's disappearance, the US Embassy warned American citizens that the risk of kidnapping extended across Niger.

According to Reuters, US efforts to locate Rideout reportedly extended beyond Niger, with Washington seeking to restore intelligence-gathering capabilities in neighboring Mali amid suspicions that the missionary may have been held there.

The abduction occurred amid persistent security challenges across Niger and the wider Sahel, where armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State have operated for years.

Foreign nationals have increasingly been targeted. An Austrian woman was abducted in Agadez in January 2025, followed by the kidnapping of two Chinese nationals the following month. A Swiss woman was also abducted from her home in Agadez in April.

In another high-profile case, two employees of a Russian geological exploration company were freed in neighboring Mali in April after nearly two years in captivity.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the two men were abducted in Niger's Tillaberi region in July 2024 by JNIM, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group.