India – Times Now, Oct. 23, 2025
American missionary Kevin Rideout, a 50-year-old pilot working with the evangelical group Serving in Mission (SIM), has been kidnapped in Niger’s capital, Niamey, according to the US State Department. Diplomats told AFP and Reuters that three armed men seized Rideout near the airport on Tuesday night before fleeing toward the Mali border.
An American missionary and pilot, identified as Kevin Rideout, has been kidnapped in Niger’s capital, Niamey, in what officials are calling one of the most serious abductions of a US national in the Sahel this year. According to AFP, Rideout, a 50-year-old serving with the evangelical group Serving in Mission (SIM), was seized by three unidentified men late Tuesday night while travelling through the Plateau district, near the capital’s main airport.
A diplomatic source told AFP that Rideout was “already en route to the border with Mali” within hours of the kidnapping. Another diplomat cited by Reuters confirmed that Rideout worked as a pilot for SIM, an organisation that describes itself as a “global mission family serving in 70 countries” with a focus on outreach to communities with few Christians.
US Embassy Confirms Efforts to Secure Release
A State Department spokesperson told AFP that the US Embassy in Niamey was “doing everything possible” to ensure Rideout’s safe return, but declined to provide operational details “for security reasons.” No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, and it remains unclear whether a ransom demand has been made.
