Nine Months Ago Militants Took an American Missionary Off a Street in Niger. Today He’s Finally Free.

For more than nine months, Kevin Rideout’s family had no idea when — or if — he was coming home.

On Friday, they finally got their answer.

Rideout, an American missionary and pilot who was abducted by armed men outside his home in Niger last October, has been released from captivity and is now in the care of U.S. officials, according to SIM International, the missions organization he serves with.

“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 director Phil Bauman said in a statement Friday.

SIM said Rideout is in good health and will soon be reunited with his wife, Krista, their children and his extended family. The organization said his family is “profoundly grateful” for the prayers offered around the world throughout his captivity.

Rideout was abducted Oct. 21, 2025, outside his home in Niamey, Niger’s capital. Three armed men reportedly seized him and drove him out of the city. No group publicly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, and the circumstances surrounding his release have not been disclosed.

The location of the abduction made it particularly alarming. Rideout was taken roughly 100 yards from Niger’s presidential palace, according to security sources who spoke to CBS News after the kidnapping. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert the following day warning Americans of a heightened kidnapping risk throughout the country, including inside Niamey.

Rideout, 50, has reportedly served as a missionary in Niger for 19 years and works as a pilot for SIM, an evangelical missions organization with teams serving around the world.

His kidnapping came amid worsening instability across the Sahel, where armed militant groups have expanded their reach in recent years. Niger itself has faced repeated attacks from groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, while political upheaval following the country’s 2023 military coup has further complicated the security situation.

For Rideout’s family and the SIM community, though, Friday’s news ends more than nine months of waiting.

“Krista and the rest of Kevin’s family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity,” SIM said, “and in particular for the deep level of prayer and support offered by our SIM family.”

After 297 days away from his family, Rideout is finally coming home.