Kidnappers Of U.S. Female Missionary Demand 50 Million Naira

Rev. Phyllis Sortor was abducted from the Hope Academy
compound around 10:00am on Monday in Kogi State.
The Free Methodist Church in a post on their website
confirmed the attack.
“Early this morning we received a report that Rev. Phyllis
Sortor, our missionary in Nigeria, was abducted from the
Hope Academy compound in Emiworo, Kogi State, Nigeria
by several persons,” the church said.
The Kogi State police command confirmed the
kidnapping and said five gunmen, two of them
wearing masks, scaled the fence bordering the
missionary’s compound, fired sporadically and
made off with her.
The missionary apart from running an NGO, is
said to have secured a grazing land specifically
for herdsmen in a move aimed at discouraging
clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
U.S radio station, NBC station King5 reported that
Rev. Sortor is an alumna of Seattle Pacific
University.
Her stepson, Richard Sortor, told King5 at a
prayer service at SPU on Monday night: “She
believes in God, she’s doing God’s work.” He said
the news was “surreal, just surreal, I can’t believe
this.”
Rev. Phyllis Sortor has been working there for
about 10 years.
In one of Sortor’s latest updates online there was
no sign of distress. She came across upbeat,
writing: “Just a little note to share the joy with
you regarding the (long-awaited) opening of our
brand-new (International Child Care Ministries)
school in Enugu!”
A Bishop of the Free Methodist World Missions, David
Kendall, in a statement on the Church’s website on Monday
called for prayer for Rev. Sortor.
“The U.S. Embassy has been notified, and the State
Department and the FBI are working with local authorities
to find and rescue her. We are calling on the U.S. church to
join together in prayer for Phyllis’ safety and speedy
release,” the statement read.
No group has claimed responsibility for the act