{"id":2645124,"date":"2026-08-14T12:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-missionary-kidnapped-in-niger-free-after-nearly-one-year\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T12:37:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:37:15","slug":"american-missionary-kidnapped-in-niger-free-after-nearly-one-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-missionary-kidnapped-in-niger-free-after-nearly-one-year\/","title":{"rendered":"American missionary kidnapped in Niger free after nearly one year"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famerican-missionary-kidnapped-in-niger-free-after-nearly-one-year%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2645124&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A U.S. Christian missionary in niger, Kevin Rideout, has been released after nearly 10 months in captivity. Kidnapped outside his home in Niamey on October 21, 2025, he was taken to a region known for militant activity. According to SIM International, he is in good health and in the care of U.S. officials, and his family is expected to reunite with him soon. Rideout had served as a missionary in Niger for 19 years and was a pilot for SIM International. His release was not achieved through a military rescue but through other means, possibly influenced by U.S.military pressure on Islamic State-affiliated groups in the region,including targeted operations against ISIS leaders. The kidnapping occurred near the presidential palace amid Niger&#8217;s political upheaval following a military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Christian missionary from the United States in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/niger\/\">Niger<\/a> has been released after being kidnapped in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/africa\/\">African <\/a>country\u2019s capital roughly 10 months ago, according to his mission organization. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SIM International announced Friday that Kevin Rideout \u201cis in good health in the care of U.S. officials.\u201d Rideout was kidnapped outside his home in Niamey on Oct. 21, 2025, by three armed individuals, according to the Christian mission organization based in South Carolina. He was then taken to the western Tillab\u00e9ri region, a location known as a hotbed of militant activity, according to <em>Reuters<\/em>. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4687509\/american-missionary-kidnapped-in-niger-free-after-military-pressure\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>American missionary kidnapped in Niger free after nearly one year<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4687476\/pirro-felony-charges-wwii-memorial-vandalism\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Pirro unveils felony charges against suspect in \u2018despicable\u2019 WWII Memorial vandalism<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4686871\/interior-department-world-war-ii-memorial-fountain-vandalized-bubbles\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Interior Department blames vandals for bubbles pouring out of World War II Memorial<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe will soon be reunited with Krista, his children, and his extended family,\u201d SIM International\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simusa.org\/kevin-rideout-release\/\">statement<\/a> said. \u201cKrista and the rest of Kevin\u2019s family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity, and in particular for the deep level of prayer and support offered by our SIM family.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rideout had worked as a missionary in Niger for 19 years and was a pilot for SIM International, which operates in over 70 countries, according to the <em>New York Times<\/em>. His release was not the result of a military rescue operation but \u201cby other means,\u201d a U.S. official<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/14\/world\/africa\/american-missionary-niger-rideout-released.html\"> told<\/a> the outlet, which reported he is now in FBI custody after his case was a major priority for the White House and for the military\u2019s Africa Command.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official linked Rideout\u2019s release to U.S. military pressure on the Islamic State in Nigeria, Niger\u2019s southern neighbor, in recent months. In May, President Donald Trump said that American and Nigerian forces had killed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, a high-ranking Islamic State leader in Lake Chad, which intersects Nigeria and Niger. The official said that the raid had helped influence the kidnappers\u2019 decision to release Rideout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4677543\/trump-administration-growing-backlog-legal-immigration-applications\/\"><strong>TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FACES GROWING BACKLOG IN LEGAL IMMIGRATION APPLICATIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The missionary was kidnapped around 100 yards from the presidential palace in Niamey, where ousted President Mohamed Bazoum had been held since he was toppled by a coup in July 2023,<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/kevin-rideout-american-missionary-kidnapped-niger-october-released\/\"> according to<\/a> CBS News. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The coup brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power, with his military junta overseeing a country beset with violence and abductions such as Rideouts\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. missionary Kevin Rideout released after 10 months in Niger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2645125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26226304580288.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[53559,65784,65785],"class_list":["post-2645124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-kidnapping-2","tag-missionary-2","tag-niger"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26226304580288.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2645124"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2645129,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645124\/revisions\/2645129"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2645125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2645124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2645124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2645124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}