US Christian Missionary Freed After Nine Months In Islamist Militant Captivity

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

WASHINGTON/NIAMEY (Worthy News) – Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot kidnapped by suspected Islamist militants in Niger’s capital, Niamey, in October last year, has been released and is in U.S. custody, U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirmed Friday.

“I am proud to announce that Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody,” Trump wrote in a social media post on his Truth Social platform. “Kevin, the United States of America looks forward to welcoming you HOME. Glad to have helped!”

Serving In Mission (SIM) International, the evangelical mission agency for which Rideout worked, also confirmed his release.

“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 said.

Rideout, a veteran missionary who had served in Niger for 19 years, combined Christian mission work with his role as a pilot for SIM.

MISSIONARY IN GOOD HEALTH

“Kevin is in good health in the care of U.S. officials,” SIM added.

The organization said Rideout would soon be reunited with his family following an ordeal that began when armed men abducted him in Niamey in October 2025.

Trump said Rideout had been kidnapped by “Jihadi terrorists,” but details about precisely which group held him throughout his captivity remained unclear.

Sources familiar with the case said Rideout appeared to be in good health, based in part on proof-of-life images provided to American officials within the previous 48 hours.

Rideout was seized by three armed men in Niamey on October 21, according to officials familiar with the kidnapping.

ISLAMIST MILITANTS ACTIVE

The abductors reportedly headed toward Niger’s western Tillabéri region, where Islamist militants linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda have been active.

U.S. officials had been working for months to determine Rideout’s location amid indications that he may have been taken across the border into neighboring Mali.

Earlier this year, U.S. officials believed Rideout was being held in Mali by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that has emerged as one of the Sahel region’s most powerful Islamist militant organizations.

Washington had sought to resume intelligence-gathering operations in Mali, with efforts to locate Rideout among the reasons for renewed U.S. engagement with authorities there.

However, sources familiar with his release said Friday that eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar played a key role in securing Rideout’s freedom.

HAFTAR HELPED SECURE FREEDOM

Rideout was handed over to authorities in eastern Libya following efforts involving Haftar and other regional intermediaries, according to people familiar with the operation.

It was not immediately clear where Rideout had been held immediately before his release or whether he had been moved between different militant groups or locations during his more than nine months in captivity.

Niger, like neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, has been battling Islamist insurgencies for more than a decade as groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have expanded their operations across Africa’s Sahel region.

The United States issued a travel warning for Niger days after Rideout’s kidnapping, advising Americans against traveling there because of terrorism, kidnapping, crime, unrest, and health risks.

Niger has been ruled by a military junta since a 2023 coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. The upheaval also severely disrupted longstanding security cooperation between Niger and Western nations, including the United States.

SAHEL SECURITY CRISIS

American troops subsequently withdrew from Niger, complicating Washington’s ability to gather intelligence in an area where Islamist militants have expanded their reach.

Rideout’s kidnapping in the capital was particularly alarming because he was seized in an area previously considered relatively secure.

SIM International described Rideout not only as a colleague but as a “brother in Christ” and expressed gratitude following months of uncertainty over his fate.

The international evangelical mission organization has more than 3,000 cross-cultural mission workers serving in more than 70 countries.

SIM says it has a particular focus on communities where Christianity is little known and where openly sharing the Christian faith can be difficult or dangerous.

CHRISTIAN MISSION

Its missionaries are involved in activities ranging from Bible teaching, church planting, and translation to medical care, education, engineering, humanitarian assistance, and work with vulnerable communities.

The organization says its goal is to see Christian communities established among peoples with little access to the Gospel while supporting local churches in carrying out what Christians call the Great Commission — Christ’s command to spread the Gospel worldwide.

For Rideout’s colleagues and family, Friday’s announcement ended more than nine months of uncertainty about whether the missionary pilot would return alive.

SIM said it was grateful for his freedom as preparations were made for Rideout’s return home.

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