Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot who was kidnapped in Niger’s capital Niamey last October, has been released. Rideout, 50, is now in U.S. hands and on his way back to America, the New York Times reported late on Thursday, citing information from two U.S. officials. Proof-of-life images released to the officials demonstrated the pilot was in good health. Rideout had been working as a Christian missionary in Niger for 19 years. Last October he was seized by three unidentified men while on his way to the airport with an evangelical group he was working with, according to Reuters. The kidnappers then took Rideout and headed toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda are active. His release has been a priority for the White House and the military’s Africa Command. The U.S. military has been assisting neighboring Nigeria in training and surveillance missions in its fight against jihadists. The Times said Nigeria permitted the U.S. to operate surveillance missions from its bases, partly to try to locate Rideout. The two officials who spoke to the Times said details of how and where Rideout was released remain unclear. One of the two officials stated it was also not certain which criminal group or terrorist was holding Rideout when he was released, as he may have been moved. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the U.S. State Department for comment.
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