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

Kevin Rideout, an American missionary who was abducted successful Niger, has been released aft much than 9 months of detention successful the country, Christian missionary enactment SIM International announced.

"We are grateful to corroborate that our bully person and member successful Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released aft implicit 9 months successful captivity," the enactment said successful a connection shared with Fox News Digital.

Rideout was kidnapped adjacent his location successful Niger's superior Niamey connected Oct. 21, 2025, SIM said.

He was released into the attraction of U.S. officials and is successful bully health, according to the organization.

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Kevin Rideout, a Christian missionary aviator who was kidnapped successful Niger, has been safely returned to U.S. officials. (X/@RepMarkHarrisNC)

Rideout, who serves arsenic a aviator for the North Carolina-based SIM, volition present instrumentality to his woman and children.

"He volition soon beryllium reunited with Krista, his children, and his extended family," SIM International’s connection read.

"Krista and the remainder of Kevin’s household are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered connected their behalf by radical astir the satellite passim his captivity, and successful peculiar for the heavy level of supplication and enactment offered by our SIM family," the connection besides read.

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Rideout was abducted conscionable 150 feet from Niger’s statesmanlike palace, The Washington Post reported successful November.

Niger's statesmanlike palace successful Niamey, Niger connected Sept. 7, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)

No accusation has been released astir the radical that took Rideout, though the Post cited expert speculation that his abduction was connected to Islamic panic groups successful the region.

Niger has been a hotbed for Islamic coercion since a subject junta overthrew the democratically elected authorities successful 2023. Following the coup, the subject expelled French and U.S. subject personnel, forcing the Western nations to wantonness Air Base 101 successful Niamey, according to U.S. Africa Command.

Supporters of Niger's ruling junta stitchery for a protestation called to combat for the country's state and propulsion backmost against overseas interference, successful Niamey, Niger, Aug. 3, 2023. Russia has moved immoderate troops onto an airbase successful Niger wherever a tiny fig of U.S. forces stay aft astir American troops near the basal successful Niamey, the nation's capital, a U.S. authoritative said Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

Islamic groups, peculiarly the ISIS-affiliated Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and the al Qaeda-affiliated JNIM, person grown successful spot and power successful the portion since the takeover.

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"JNIM enactment successful Niger saw a important increase... representing an astir fourteenfold summation successful fatalities and marking the highest fig of deaths and attacks by JNIM successful the state to date," according to a study from the Global Terrorism Index successful 2025.

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