US Missionary Held by Militant Group Released After Nine Months in Captivity.

Kevin Rideout, an American missionary who was kidnapped outside his home in Niamey, Niger's capital, has been released after more than nine months in captivity.

Release Details

SIM International said that Rideout is currently in the care of US officials and is in good health.

The New York Times reported that Rideout was transferred to FBI custody, although details about his release and captors remain unclear.

Rideout's kidnapping in October was carried out by three armed men who took him to the western Tillaberi region, a hotbed of militant activity.

Concerns had been raised that he may have been taken by militants affiliated with groups like Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate linked to several attacks in the region.

Islamist militant groups operating from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso have plagued Niger for years, targeting civilians and military personnel.

The US had warned its citizens against travelling to Niger due to an 'increased risk of terrorism, crime and civil unrest' shortly after Rideout's kidnapping.

Rideout is expected to be reunited with his wife, children, and extended family soon.