Kevin Rideout, an American missionary who was held captive in Niger for nine months, has been released to US officials, according to SIM International, the Christian missionary organization he worked for.
Release and Current Status
Rideout is in good health and will soon be reunited with his family, said SIM International Director Phil Bauman. The FBI declined to comment on the release.
Rideout was kidnapped from outside his home in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on October 21, 2025. He was seized by three unidentified men who headed toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants are active.
Security Concerns
The US Embassy in Niger warned of a “heightened concern about the threat of kidnapping” the day after Rideout’s kidnapping and increased security requirements for Embassy personnel.
Niger has faced a surge in attacks from militant groups linked to al Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State, particularly in the tri-border region with Mali and Burkina Faso, and along its southern border with Nigeria.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
