An American missionary pilot who was captured in Niger last fall has reportedly been released and is now en route back to the United States. Kevin Rideout, a 50-year-old pilot working with an evangelical group, was kidnapped on October 21 by three unidentified men outside his home in the capital Niamey, just blocks away from the presidential palace, Christianity Today reports. The armed kidnappers were then seen heading toward the Tillaberi region, where militants linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda were known to be active. The following day, the US Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert warning Americans of an increased risk of kidnapping. A spokesperson from the State Department told CBS News: 'We are seeing efforts from across the government to support the recovery and safe return of this US citizen.' Rideout's release has since become a priority for the Trump White House and the military's Africa Command, who were successfully able to bring him back into American custody on Thursday, tw...