Rev. Phyllis Sortor (Photo : YouTube.com)
An American missionary was kidnapped from a school in central Nigeria on Feb. 23, Monday. The officials said that the area where it happened is susceptible to kidnappings for ransom.
With the aid of the website of the Free Methodist Church, the missionary was identified as the Rev. Phyllis Sortor, according to Washington State television KING-5, and she was from western Washington.
The website also released a statement saying that she had been abducted from the compound of Hope Academy which was outside Emiworo in Kogi Sate.
The Nigerian officials speculate that the kidnapping was not likely the work of Boko Haram-an Islamist militant group. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, the police commissioner of Kogi State, said that the ransom being demanded is around $300,000 which should be handed to the kidnappers by Tuesday afternoon, just about 24 hours after the kidnapping. Commissioner Ogunjemilusi said that this is not a typical working of Boko Haram.
In addition to this, the area where the kidnapping happened is not really considered to be within Boko Haram's zone of influence. He stated that the group is not active in Kogi where Sortor was abducted.
According to Commissioner Ogunjemilusi's statement on Monday, there were five armed men who jumped over the school's wall around 10:30 in the morning shooting in the air to scare who would attempt rescue. He said that of the five, two wore masks.
Sortor had just gotten back from a trip to town and was with two students outside the school when the kidnappers took a hold of her, climbed to the wall and disappeared into the surrounding bush. It is said that the area is very mountainous and that there are a number of potential hide-outs.
"The entire forest is being combed as I talk to you," Commissioner Ogunjemilusi told New York Times. He added that the police and soldiers had been deployed all over the area. "We are all working together to secure her release."
