Kevin Rideout, a US missionary who was kidnapped in Niger, has been released and is in good health, says the Christian group he worked for.
Rideout, 50, was kidnapped from outside his home in the Nigerien capital Niamey last October, according to SIM International. At one point, he was believed to be held in neighboring Mali by the Sahel branch of the Islamic State group.
But it was unclear which group held Rideout at the end of his captivity as he may have been moved, the New York Times reports, citing an unidentified US official.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has made Rideout’s release a priority in its latest strategy on African Sahel states, after years of fighting extremism found limited success.
“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 International says in a statement.
“Kevin is in good health in the care of US officials,” the group says, adding that he will soon be reunited with family.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 14, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
