US celebrates release of Christian missionary pilot kidnapped in Niger

‘Niger and its people are woven deeply into our lives and into the calling God has given us. We continue to love them and carry them in our hearts and prayers,’ said Kevin and Krista Rideout in a statement after his release.

An American missionary pilot working for a Christian aid organisation was released nine months after his abduction in Niger.

Kevin Rideout, who was kidnapped outside his home in Niger’s capital Niamey in October last year, was “in good health in the care of US officials”, SIM International said in a statement on 14 August.

The New York Times cited unnamed US officials who said he was now in FBI custody, though details of how he was released, as well as who he had been held by, remained unclear.

There had been concerns that Rideout had been taken by militants, who have increasingly used violence and abductions as tactics.

Three men seized him and took him to the western Tillaberi region, a location known as a centre of militant activity. It was feared the men belonged Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate which has been linked to several attacks in the region.

Islamist militant groups operating from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso have blighted Niger for years, targeting both civilians and the military. The region has seen a wave of violence between jihadists and government security forces as well as allied troops.

Within days of Rideout’s kidnapping, the United States government warned its citizens against travelling to Niger due to an “increased risk of terrorism, crime and civil unrest”.

The New York Times reported that Rideout, who is also a pilot, may have been transferred to another group prior to his release.

SIM International said he would soon be reunited with his wife, their children and his extended family.

Rideout had been working in Niger as a Christian missionary for 19 years and was a pilot for SIM International, an evangelical agency operating in more than 70 countries. The organisation said Rideout’s release was “incredibly good news” after months of uncertainty about his wellbeing.

“Krista and the rest of Kevin’s family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity,” it said in its statement shortly after his release.

It added that the family had requested privacy while they “reconnect after this time apart”.

Rideout and his wife Krista issued a statement on 21 August thanking the US government and other state authorities that worked to secure his release and SIM for its “steadfast care and support”.

“For decades, the Lord has given us a deep love for Niger and for the people of Niger, among whom we have been privileged to live and serve,” they said.

“Niger and its people are woven deeply into our lives and into the calling God has given us. We continue to love them and carry them in our hearts and prayers.”

Rideout’s abduction came amid a rise in terror attacks in several countries in West Africa and the Sahel. More than a decade of violence in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria have been has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and caused regional destabilisation.

The region has also experienced a wave of military takeovers, with a string of democratic governments overthrown.

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