American missionary Kevin Rideout released after more than 9 months in captivity in Niger

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Kevin Rideout, an American missionary who was abducted in Niger, has been released after more than nine months of detention in the country, Christian missionary organization SIM International announced.

“We are grateful to confirm that our good friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released after over nine months in captivity,” the organization said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

Rideout was kidnapped near his home in Niger’s capital Niamey on Oct. 21, 2025, SIM said.

He was released into the care of U.S. officials and is in good health, according to the organization.

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Kevin Rideout, a Christian missionary pilot who was kidnapped in Niger, has been safely returned to U.S. officials.

Rideout, who serves as a pilot for the North Carolina-based SIM, will now return to his wife and children.

“He will soon be reunited with Krista, his children, and his extended family,” SIM International’s statement read.

“Krista and the rest of Kevin’s family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity, and in particular for the deep level of prayer and support offered by our SIM family,” the statement also read.

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Rideout was abducted just 150 feet from Niger’s presidential palace, The Washington Post reported in November.

Niger's Presidential Palace in Niamey, Niger on on September 7, 2023.

No information has been released about the group that took Rideout, though the Post cited analyst speculation that his abduction was connected to Islamic terror groups in the region.

Niger has been a hotbed for Islamic terrorism since a military junta overthrew the democratically elected government in 2023. Following the coup, the military expelled French and U.S. military personnel, forcing the Western nations to abandon Air Base 101 in Niamey, according to U.S. Africa Command.

Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather for a protest

Islamic groups, particularly the ISIS-affiliated Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and the al Qaeda-affiliated JNIM, have grown in strength and influence in the region since the takeover.

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“JNIM activity in Niger saw a substantial increase… representing an almost fourteenfold increase in fatalities and marking the highest number of deaths and attacks by JNIM in the country to date,” according to a report from the Global Terrorism Index in 2025.

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Fox News Digital contacted SIM International, the White House, the State Department and AFRICOM for further comment.

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