American missionary Kevin Rideout has been freed in Niger after spending more than nine months in captivity, SIM International, the Christian mission organization he serves with, announced.
“We are grateful to confirm that our good friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released after over nine months in captivity,” the organization said in a statement shared with News Outlet.
According to SIM, Rideout was abducted on Oct. 21, 2025, near his home in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
The organization said he has been released into the care of U.S. officials and is in good health.
Kevin Rideout, a Christian missionary pilot who was kidnapped in Niger, has been safely returned to U.S. officials. (X/@RepMarkHarrisNC)
Rideout, a pilot with the North Carolina-based mission group, is expected to return to his wife and children.
“He will soon be reunited with Krista, his children, and his extended family,” SIM International said.
The statement added that “Krista and the rest of Kevin’s family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity, and in particular for the deep level of prayer and support offered by our SIM family.”
Rideout was abducted just 150 feet from Niger’s presidential palace, The Washington Post reported in November.
Niger’s presidential palace in Niamey, Niger on Sept. 7, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
No information has been released about the group that took Rideout, though the Post cited analyst speculation that his abduction was connected to Islamic terror groups in the region.
Niger has been a hotbed for Islamic terrorism since a military junta overthrew the democratically elected government in 2023. Following the coup, the military expelled French and U.S. military personnel, forcing the Western nations to abandon Air Base 101 in Niamey, according to U.S. Africa Command.
Supporters of Niger’s ruling junta gather for a protest called to fight for the country’s freedom and push back against foreign interference, in Niamey, Niger, Aug. 3, 2023. Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain after most American troops left the base in Niamey, the nation’s capital, a U.S. official said Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)
Islamic groups, particularly the ISIS-affiliated Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and the al Qaeda-affiliated JNIM, have grown in strength and influence in the region since the takeover.
“JNIM activity in Niger saw a substantial increase… representing an almost fourteenfold increase in fatalities and marking the highest number of deaths and attacks by JNIM in the country to date,” according to a report from the Global Terrorism Index in 2025.
News Outlet contacted SIM International, the White House, the State Department and AFRICOM for further comment.
