US Missionary Kevin Rideout Freed in Niger After Nine Months

U.S. missionary Kevin Rideout has been released after being kidnapped in Niger in October 2025.

SIM International, the Christian organization he works for, announced his release on Friday, stating Rideout is in good health in the care of US officials. He is expected to reunite with his wife Krista, their children, and extended family shortly. The U.S. State Department has not yet confirmed his release, and details regarding how and where Rideout was freed remain undisclosed.

The New York Times, which first reported the news on Thursday, cited a U.S. official who said Rideout was in good health based on proof-of-life images provided in the past 48 hours. Rideout is reportedly in FBI custody and is on his way to the United States. Rideout, a missionary pilot for SIM, was abducted on October 21, 2025, from outside his home in Niamey, Niger's capital.

Three armed individuals seized him and reportedly drove him toward the western Tillaberi region, an area known for Islamist militant activity. No group publicly claimed responsibility for the abduction. The U.S. Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert a day after the kidnapping, warning American citizens of a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger. Niger is ruled by a military junta that took power in 2023, deposing President Mohamed Bazoum.

The new authorities have ousted Western partners, including the United States, and forged alliances with Russia. The country has faced attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization for over a decade.