US missionary kidnapped in Niger released after nine months in captivity

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Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNewsUS missionary kidnapped in Niger released after nine months in captivityKevin Rideout, a pilot with the evangelical missionary agency SIM International, was abducted in the capital, Niamey, on October 21, 2025.

Kevin Rideout, um piloto da agência missionária evangélica SIM International, foi sequestrado na capital, Niamey, em 21 de outubro por três homens armados enquanto se dirigia ao aeroporto.

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The Reuters news agency, citing The New York Times, reported that Rideout was travelling to the US accompanied by FBI officials. Details of how and where Rideout was released remain unclear, as does the identity of the group that held him during the final stages of his captivity.

Após seu sequestro, acredita-se que os sequestradores viajaram em direção à região ocidental de Tillaberi, no Níger, onde grupos armados ligados à al-Qaeda e à ISIL (ISIS) operam.

A Reuters informou em março que Rideout era provavelmente mantido em cativeiro no Mali vizinho pelo afiliado da al-Qaeda Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

Niger and its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso have struggled with armed groups across the Sahel for years.

The US withdrew its troops from Niger after the military seized power in a 2023 coup, while Niger’s authorities have since strengthened security and diplomatic ties with Russia.