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Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot who was seized in Niger last fall, is in U.S. custody and en route to the United States, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on Thursday.
Mr. Rideout’s release, which has been a high priority for the White House and the military’s Africa Command since his abduction in October, was carried out while he was working with an evangelical group in Niger’s capital, Niamey.
However, specific details regarding the location and method of his release remain unclear, as reported by the officials who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive operational matters. Furthermore, the terrorist or criminal group that held Mr. Rideout during the latter part of his captivity is unknown, as he may have been transferred recently, one of the officials indicated.
Mr. Rideout is currently in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is reported to be in good health, based on proof-of-life images provided to U.S. officials within the last 48 hours, one of the officials confirmed.
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday evening.
Mr. Rideout has been engaged in missionary work in Niger for the past 19 years and also served as a pilot for Serving in Mission, a Charlotte, N.C.-based organization that describes itself as a “global mission family serving in 70 countries” with a focus on outreach to communities with few Christians.
Over the past year, the U.S. military has been assisting neighboring Nigeria in its fight against jihadists through training and surveillance efforts. Nigeria has also permitted the United States to conduct surveillance missions from its bases, partly to aid in locating Mr. Rideout.
In December, the United States executed missile strikes in northwest Nigeria that President Trump stated targeted Islamic State fighters. This operation was conducted in coordination with the Nigerian military, as confirmed by the Pentagon at the time.
The ongoing conflict in Nigeria, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Christians and Muslims due to land disputes, sectarian violence, and terrorism, has been viewed by Christian activists and Republican lawmakers in the United States as a form of Christian persecution. However, analysts note that there is no definitive evidence to suggest that Christians are attacked more frequently than other religious groups in Nigeria.
In May, U.S. and Nigerian forces successfully eliminated Abu Bilal al-Minuki, one of the Islamic State’s highest-ranking leaders, in an operation conducted in Nigeria.
U.S. officials stated that Mr. al-Minuki was responsible for overseeing ISIS’s global operations, media, recruitment, and financial activities. Furthermore, he was reportedly directly involved in plots such as the kidnapping of Mr. Rideout.
