US President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 7, 2026. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)
Kevin Rideout, a US missionary who was kidnapped in Niger last year, has been released, President Donald Trump confirmed Friday.
The news of the release of Rideout had first been relayed by the Christian group he worked for, SIM International, which said he had been kidnapped from outside his home in the Nigerien capital Niamey last October.
“I am proud to announce that Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.
“Kevin was kidnapped by Jihadi terrorists in West Africa,” Trump said, without offering more details.
