Prayers are needed for an American Christian missionary to Niger. The U.S. State Department has announced a Christian missionary who is a U.S. citizen was kidnapped in Niger. The missionary was a pilot for Service in Mission and was reportedly kidnapped by Islamic extremists. Fox News had more to report on the missionary’s kidnapping: The U.S. government is aware of the kidnapping of an American Christian missionary in the West African nation of Niger, U.S. official sources told Fox News. The sources told Fox News that they suspect that the missionary has been taken north to Islamic State-controlled areas where an offshoot of ISIS operates. “We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in Niamey, Niger,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. “Since we were alerted of the situation, our Embassy officials have been working with local authorities. It is a top priority for the Trump Administration to look after the safety of every American, and we are seeing efforts from across the U.S. Government to support the recovery and safe return of this U.S. citizen.” The missionary is a pilot for the evangelical missionary agency Serving in Mission, according to Reuters. The abduction took place only about 100 yards from the presidential palace in Niamey, where ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has been held since he was toppled by a coup more than two years ago, according to CBS News. Following the kidnapping, the U.S. Embassy in Niger said it now requires all personnel to travel only in armored vehicles and announced that all restaurants and open-air markets are “off-limits”. Kidnappings appear to have intensified this year in areas of West Africa where militants operate. An Austrian woman was abducted in January in Niger, and a Swiss citizen was abducted in April in the same country, Reuters reported. An American missionary pilot has been kidnapped by suspected Islamist militants in Niger’s capital, U.S. officials tell Fox News. He was reportedly working with the Christian aid group Serving in Mission (SIM) pic.twitter.com/782xlbBYuF — Fox News (@FoxNews) October 22, 2025 Islamist militants kidnapped American missionary pilot in Niger Armed IS-Sahel (regional branch of ISIS in West Africa) militants abducted American Christian pilot Kevin Rideout from his home in Niamey late Monday. Niger’s Security agencies have launched a search operation. pic.twitter.com/jqi4m5SSOH — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 22, 2025 Times Now News identified the missionary: 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.