American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout, kidnapped in Niger last October, has been released and is in U.S. custody, according to The New York Times. Proof-of-life images indicate he is in good health and en route to the United States.
The release of an American citizen held captive by militants in a region plagued by insurgency offers a positive resolution to a security concern and highlights ongoing efforts by the U.S. to secure the safety of its citizens abroad.
American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout, who was kidnapped in Niger's capital Niamey in October of last year, has been released and is now in U.S. hands, The New York Times reported late Thursday, citing two U.S. officials. Rideout is reportedly on his way to the United States and is in good health, based on proof-of-life images provided to American officials within the last 48 hours.
Rideout, a pilot for the evangelical missionary agency Serving in Mission, was seized by three unidentified men as he was heading to the airport. The kidnappers reportedly headed toward Niger's western Tillaberi region, an area known for activity by Islamist militants linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda. Niger, along with its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, has been contending with jihadist insurgencies for over a decade.
Days after the kidnapping, the U.S. issued a travel warning for Niger, advising citizens against travel due to risks of crime, unrest, terrorism, and kidnapping. In March, Reuters reported that the U.S. was seeking to resume intelligence gathering in neighboring Mali, partly motivated by a desire to locate the kidnapped missionary, who was believed at the time to be held in Mali by the local al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
The New York Times noted that details surrounding Rideout's release, including the specific method and location, remain unclear. It was also uncertain which group was holding Rideout at the end of his captivity, as he may have been moved recently.