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 organization he worked for.
Release and Reunion
Rideout is in good health and will soon be reunited with his family, said SIM International Director Phil Bauman. The circumstances of his release are not clear, and it is not known which group was holding him at the end of his captivity.
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.
Regional Unrest
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: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
