ICC Note: On February 23, 2015, American missionary Rev. Phyllis Sortor was kidnapped by five masked men in Nigeria. The group has demanded a $300,000 ransom for her return; however, her family has stated that they cannot afford it. The US State Department and the FBI are currently partnering with local authorities in their efforts to find and rescue Sortor as soon as possible.
By Leonardo Blair
02/24/2015 Nigeria (The Christian Post) – The Free Methodist Church in the U.S. is now calling for prayers after one of their working missionaries, the Rev. Phyllis Sortor, was abducted by masked and armed men in Nigeria Monday morning who’ve demanded a $300,000 ransom for her safe return. Her distraught family, however, say they cannot afford it.
“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 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 church noted in a statement posted on its website Monday.
The Christian Post reached out to Free Methodist World Missions for further comment on Tuesday but one was not available at the time of publication.
Sortor was reportedly taken by a gang of five armed men after they jumped the walls of the Hope Academy compound in Kogi state in Nigeria and fired shots at about 4:30 a.m. Sortor is the financial administrator for Hope Academy, according to the church’s website.
Kogi State Police Commissioner Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi told NBC News that he believes Sortor was targeted by her abductors because no one else was taken or injured and they are now demanding $300,000 to release her.
“We will do all within the available resources to ensure the safe rescue of the victim,” said Ogunjemilusi.
The missionary’s stepson, Richard Sortor, told Q13 Fox that her family in the U.S. haven’t been told much about what happened to her but they are clamoring for her speedy return.
