American missionary Kevin Rideout has been released after more than nine months in captivity in Niger, according to a statement from SIM International, the Christian missionary organisation he served.
SIM International Director Phil Bauman confirmed the release in a statement to CNN, saying the organisation was grateful to confirm that Kevin Rideout had been freed after over nine months in captivity. Bauman added that he was in good health and in the care of US officials, and would soon be reunited with his family.
Kevin Rideout, a 50 year old missionary pilot, had worked in Niger for nineteen years before his abduction. He was seized by three armed men outside his home in Niamey, the Nigerien capital, on 21 October 2025.
The men reportedly drove him toward the Tillaberi region in western Niger, an area where jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State remain active. No group ever claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, and no ransom demand was made public.
Details surrounding Kevin Rideout’s release remain limited. He is currently in the custody of US authorities and is reported to be in good health. It remains unclear how or when he was freed, or which group held him at the end of his captivity. Reports indicate he may have been moved from one location to another shortly before his release.
Niger has faced a surge of militant attacks since a military government took power in a 2023 coup that removed elected president Mohamed Bazoum. The country’s new authorities have distanced themselves from Western partners, including the United States, which withdrew its remaining troops from Niger following the takeover. In their place, the military government has forged closer security and diplomatic ties with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which are also run by military administrations.
That regional alliance, formed by the three Sahelian states, has struggled to contain the jihadist violence that continues to spread across the tri-border area shared with Nigeria. Armed groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State have exploited porous borders and thin security coverage to carry out attacks and abductions, often targeting civilians, aid workers and foreign nationals travelling or living in remote areas.
Kidnappings of foreign nationals have become more frequent in Niger this year. A 67 year old Swiss woman was abducted in the northern city of Agadez in April, three months after an Austrian woman was taken in the same city. Neither case has led to a public claim of responsibility, mirroring the pattern seen in his own abduction.
The US Embassy in Niamey had issued a security alert a day after Kevin Rideout’s abduction, warning American citizens that they remained at heightened risk of kidnapping throughout the country, including in the capital. That warning has largely stood throughout his time in captivity, with diplomats repeatedly cautioning against travel to much of Niger’s interior.
SIM International, a Christian missionary group based in the United States, says it operates in more than seventy countries and provides humanitarian services in Niger, including air transport, healthcare and access to clean water.
Kevin Rideout’s release brings a difficult chapter to an end for his family and colleagues, many of whom had waited months for news of his fate.
