You. Love. To. See. It.
President Trump announced on Truth Social that Kevin Rideout, a Christian missionary being held captive by Islamists in Niger, has made it home after the Trump admin intervened.
Love or hate Trump, he knows how to get our people home.
Rideout works as a pilot for Serving In Mission (SIM) and was abducted last October in the capital of Niger by three jihadis - likely with ISIS-Sahel (referring to the region between the majority-Islamic North Africa and majority-Christian Subsaharan Africa).
From ABC News:
Niger has long faced attacks from armed groups including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization.
The U.S. Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert a day after Rideout's kidnapping warning that American citizens 'remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city.'
The Sahel Region is a major area of Christian missions efforts due to the explosion of the Church in Africa, as well as humanitarian response to increased Islamic attacks on Christian communities.
Niger is majority-Muslim, but a secular, Russian-friendly military coup took over the nation in 2023 and is waging war against the Islamists.
Niger is ruled by a military junta that took power in 2023 after deposing the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. The new authorities ousted Western partners including the United States, which had soldiers in Niger, and forged a new security and diplomatic alliance with Russia.
As ISIS offshoots have spread in Africa over the past 15 years, jihadis have seen attacks against the spread of Christianity as central to their obedience to the Quran, which commands war against non-Muslims and teaches that subjugation of the whole world must come before the end times.
In West Africa, ethnic tensions and Islamic ideology have combined with frustration from nomadic Fulani herdsmen, who don't like the growth of Christian communities into their wide-ranging pastureland. The result has caused an explosion of violence against Christians, with thousands of Christians killed each year in Nigeria alone.
Similar tensions are seen across the entire continent, which has a clear Muslim-Christian divide:
More from Serving in Mission (SIM) International about the release:
We are grateful to confirm that our good friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released after over nine months in captivity.
He was kidnapped from outside his home in Niamey, Niger on the 21st of October, 2025.
Kevin is in good health in the care of US officials.
He will soon be reunited with Krista, his children, and his extended family.
Krista and the rest of Kevin's family are profoundly grateful for the prayers offered on their behalf by people around the world throughout his captivity, and in particular for the deep level of prayer and support offered by our SIM family.
We ask that you respect the privacy of the family while they reconnect after this time apart.
Please join us in giving thanks to the Lord for this incredibly good news!
Praise God. ✝️
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