American Missionary Kevin Rideout Released After 9 Months' Captivity Following Niamey Kidnapping

Kevin Rideout, a 50-year-old American missionary pilot with SIM International who had worked in Niger for 19 years, was released to US officials on August 14, 2026, nearly 10 months after being abducted by three armed men outside his home in Niamey — about 100 yards from the presidential palace — on October 21, 2025. His abductors headed toward Niger's western Tillabéri region, where he was believed at times to have been held across the border in Mali by the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISGS), though it was unclear which group held him at the end of his captivity, as he may have been moved. No armed group publicly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, and details of the negotiations and manner of release were not disclosed. SIM International said Rideout is 'in good health in the care of US officials' and would soon be reunited with his family; a US official told CNN he is in FBI custody. President Trump announced the release on Truth Social, saying Rideout had been 'kidnapped by Jihadi terrorists.'