American Missionary Freed After Nine Months in Niger Captivity

American missionary Kevin Rideout, kidnapped in Niamey, Niger on 21 October 2025, was released on 14 August 2026 after nine months in captivity, SIM International confirmed. He is in good health and in US officials' care. Notably, no armed group claimed the abduction — unusual in the Sahel, where jihadist factions routinely assert responsibility for kidnappings of foreigners.