American Christian missionary kidnapped in Niger back in US hands, on his way home - report

Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot abducted in Niger's capital, Niamey, last October, has been released and is now in U.S. custody, The New York Times reported, 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.

The U.S. State Department and the White House have not yet responded to requests for comment. Rideout, who pilots for the evangelical missionary agency Serving in Mission, was reportedly seized by three unidentified men while heading to the airport. Initial reports indicated the kidnappers headed toward the Tillaberi region, an area active with Islamist terrorists linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Niger, along with its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, has been grappling with jihadist insurgencies for over a decade. Following Rideout's kidnapping, the U.S. issued a travel warning for Niger, citing risks of crime, unrest, terrorism, and kidnapping. Earlier reports suggested the U.S. was pushing to resume intelligence gathering in Mali, partly to locate the missionary, who was believed at the time to be held by al-Qaeda's local affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

Details regarding the circumstances and location of Rideout's release remain unclear. It is also uncertain which specific group held him at the end of his captivity, as he may have been moved recently, according to the Times report.