Kevin Rideout, an American missionary who was held captive in Niger for nine months, has been released to US officials, the missionary organization he worked for said Friday.
“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 Director Phil Bauman told CNN in a statement.
“Kevin is in good health in the care of US officials,” the statement said, adding Rideout will soon be reunited with his family.
According to the New York Times, which first reported news of his release, Rideout was in FBI custody and in good health based on proof-of-life images, citing an unnamed US official. The FBI declined to comment when contacted by CNN.
The Kidnapping
Rideout was kidnapped from outside of his home in the capital, Niamey, on October 21, 2025, according to SIM, a Charlotte-based Christian missionary organization which says it serves in more than 70 countries.
He was seized by three unidentified men, who later headed toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants are active, Reuters news agency reported at the time, citing an unnamed diplomat.
The day after the kidnapping, the US Embassy in Niger warned of a “heightened concern about the threat of kidnapping” and upped its security requirements for Embassy personnel.
The Release
It was not clear how or when he was released, or which group was holding him at the end of his captivity, the Times reported, adding he may have recently moved. SIM confirmed his release but did not provide details on the circumstances.
The Security Context
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.
In May, the US and Nigerian forces killed senior ISIS commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
The Bottom Line
American missionary Kevin Rideout has been released after nine months in captivity in Niger. He was kidnapped from his home in Niamey in October 2025 by unidentified men. He is in good health and in the care of US officials, according to the missionary organization SIM International. Details of his release remain unclear.
