American Missionary Kidnapped in Nigeria

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

ABUJA (Worthy News)-- In Nigeria last week, an American missionary of The Free Methodist Church was abducted by armed men who then demanded a $300,000 ransom for her safe return, according to The Christian Post.

"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 posted on its website. "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 academy's financial administrator, Sortor was reportedly taken by five armed men after they scaled the compound's walls.

Richard Sortor said that prior to her abduction, his stepmother had helped educate the children of Nigeria for almost 15 years.

"We are just a working-class family, we don't have money," he said. "That's not a huge church, they don't have money. Why they took her, who knows? The people that are doing this ... they're just cowards."