American Pilot Held in Niger for Nine Months Is Free

Missionary pilot Kevin Rideout, kidnapped in Niger on October 21, 2025, was released August 14, 2026, the group SIM International said. He is healthy and with U.S. officials. Niger's 2023 military takeover and U.S. troop pullout had weakened ties, but some security help, including $2.3 million in equipment, continued. The State Department had not confirmed the release.