LOKOJA – An 87-year old American woman missionary, Rev. Phyllis Sortor, has been kidnapped by gunmen at her church premises in Emi Woro, Ajaokuta LGA of Kogi.
It will gathered that Sortor was kidnapped by gun wielding masked men numbering about six at about 10.10a.m. on Monday.
She was said to be holding a meeting with staff of Hope Primary and Secondary Academy owned by her, when the gunmen scaled the fence from the thick bush behind the premises.
The gunmen were said to have shot sporadically into the air immediately they jumped in.
“They headed for the office where the Missionary of the Free Methodist Church Nigeria was holding the meeting.’’
An aide to Sortor, Pastor Jacob Ahiaba, said the gunmen asked everybody to lie face down and thereafter asked Sortor to follow them.
“I asked why they were taking Sister away but one of them hit me on the head with the gun butt. I saw them carrying Sister over the fence into the bush behind the compound”, Ahiaba said.
He said they reported the matter to the police shortly after.
Ahiaba said Sortor had been living in the community for over 10 years, helping and caring for the less-privileged.
Ahiaba appealed to the kidnappers to release the missionary, saying that they should consider her age and good work to the people of Nigeria.
A superintendent of the church, Pastor Mathias Emenike, described the kidnap as shocking and appealed to the kidnappers to release her.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Collins Adebayo, confirmed the kidnap, adding that police had deployed trackers to comb the bush and other surroundings to rescue her.
He also appealed to the kidnappers to consider the interest of the country and release the woman.
Emi Woro community is about 25 minutes drive to Lokoja.
