American missionary released after nine months captive in Niger
World · 14 August 2026
Written by AI from multiple news reports
Kevin Rideout, an American pilot working for a Christian organisation, has been freed after nearly nine months in captivity in Niger.
Rideout was taken by three armed men near his home in the capital, Niamey, in October 2025. No group said it was responsible for the kidnapping. He was handed over to U.S. officials and was reported to be in good health.
Rideout works as a pilot for SIM International and lives in North Carolina. He has a wife, Krista, and children who he will now be reunited with.