An American missionary kidnapped in Niger's capital nine months ago has been released and handed over to US officials, according to the Christian organisation he worked for. Kevin Rideout, a pilot with the South Carolina based mission agency SIM International, was seized outside his home in Niamey on 21 October 2025.
SIM International said in a statement on Friday that Rideout is safe and will soon be reunited with relatives after his ordeal.
“"We are grateful to confirm that our good friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released after over nine months in captivity," SIM International said.”
How the kidnapping unfolded
Rideout was taken by three armed individuals who most likely drove him out of the city, according to a security official cited by the Associated Press at the time of the abduction. No militant or criminal group has ever claimed responsibility, leaving the motive and the identity of his captors unclear even after his release.
The US Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert the day after the kidnapping, warning that American citizens "remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city," a warning that has stayed in place for foreigners across the country since.
A country under strain
Niger, a landlocked nation of about 26 million people in the Sahel region of West Africa, has been governed by a military junta since officers ousted elected president Mohamed Bazoum in a July 2023 coup. The takeover strained relations with Western partners, including the United States and France, both of which withdrew troops that had been stationed there to fight Islamist insurgents.
Armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have long operated in Niger's border regions, and kidnappings of foreigners have become one of several tactics used by militant and criminal networks, alongside attacks on infrastructure, according to security assessments of the region. The US State Department currently rates Niger at its highest travel warning level, citing the risk of terrorism, kidnapping and armed banditry.
For European readers, the case echoes a pattern seen elsewhere in the Sahel, where foreign aid workers, engineers and missionaries have periodically been targeted for ransom or political leverage, a risk that has grown as juntas in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have curtailed cooperation with former Western security partners.
Reaction and what happens next
US President Donald Trump confirmed Rideout's return to American custody in a social media post on Friday, welcoming him home. Details of how the release was secured, including whether any negotiation or ransom was involved, have not been disclosed by either SIM International or US officials.
Rideout's case had drawn sustained attention from the missionary community, with SIM International saying his wife Krista and other family members were sustained throughout his captivity by prayer and support from supporters worldwide. The organisation has not said when or where Rideout will be reunited with his family, only that the reunion is expected soon.
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