# US missionary kidnapped in Niger released after nine months in captivity

https://mins.news/en/item/22175

- Al Jazeera, 2026-08-14 12:54 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/14/us-missionary-kidnapped-in-niger-released-after-nine-months-in-captivity?traffic_source=rss

> Kevin Rideout, a pilot for evangelical missionary agency SIM International, was abducted by three armed men in Niamey on October 21, 2025. The organisation says he has been released after more than nine months and is now in US officials’ care, but the circumstances of his release and the identity of his captors remain unclear.

## Related coverage

- [US missionary released after kidnapping in Niger, Christian group says](https://mins.news/en/item/22053) — BBC News, 2026-08-14
- [American missionary kidnapped in Niger freed after nine months](https://mins.news/en/item/22037) — The Guardian, 2026-08-14