There is not a lot known surrounding the kidnapping on Monday night of Serving in Missions (SIM) International pilot Kevin Rideout (shown right). He had been working in Niger with SIM International for about 15 years, training aviation pilots for evangelical, medical, church planting, and emergency humanitarian air transport.
A preliminary report on his abduction was posted by Zagazola. Rideout was kidnapped by unidentified armed gunmen, and it is speculated that they have taken him north to the volatile area of the Tillabéri region.
Fox News reports that he was only about a hundred yards from the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The U.S. Embassy says it is aware of the situation and has put several areas of the capital off-limits to Americans.
A spokesperson from the State Department said, “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.”
Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs says the American embassy is still gathering information.
“Who has him? What are their plans? Was he targeted because he's a Christian? Was he targeted because he's a foreigner? There's lots of questions we still have,” states Nettleton.
Nettleton says this is not the first American missionary to be kidnapped in Niger.
“Another American who was kidnapped in Niger ended up being six and a half years in the captivity of an Islamist group, and for five of those years, he was basically chained to a tree,” says Nettleton
Nettleton says it's a constant threat for Americas in West Africa.
“This is one of my nightmares, like when I travel to a foreign country to think about masked men with guns forcing me into a car and not having any idea who they are or where they're taking me or how long it's going to last,” says Nettleton.
