An American missionary pilot has been freed after spending more than nine months in captivity in West Africa. Kevin Rideout, who works for SIM International, an evangelical Christian organization, was taken by three armed men in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on October 21, 2025, as he traveled to the airport. His organization confirmed his release on Friday, stating he was in good health and would soon reunite with his family.
Rideout is now in the custody of United States officials and is being transported back to America with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, specific details about his release location and the circumstances surrounding his freedom remain undisclosed. The identity of his captors during the final months of his detention also remains uncertain.
Following his abduction, Rideout was believed to have been moved toward Niger’s Tillaberi region, an area where militant groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS operate. Intelligence reports from March suggested he may have been held in neighboring Mali by an al-Qaeda-linked organization called Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin. The Sahel region, encompassing Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, has experienced ongoing conflict with various armed groups for years.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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