The 86-year-old American missionary, Rev. Phyllis Sortor, who was kidnapped in Emi Woro in Kogi State on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 and later released on Saturday, March 7, 2015 has returned to Nigeria.
The missionary who was spotted at Government House in Lokoja on Wednesday, June 18, 2015 told journalists that she returned to Nigeria to complete her missionary work.
Sortor expressed high elation as regards her return to Emi Woro where she was kidnapped by six masked gunmen who kept her for twelve days, adding that the community had become a part and parcel of her life.
She further showed immense gratitude to the villagers for their concern during her ordeal in the hands of her captors, saying that they had been of great help to her in the missionary work.
Sortor, of Free Methodists, was kidnapped from her school, Hope Academy, which also houses a branch of her church.
She expressed gratitude to God for her safe rescue from her abductors and was full of praises for the State Government for being a part of the efforts that led to her release.
Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi said the government was relieved and happy by her decision to come back to Nigeria.
Awoniyi described her as a woman of courage and great tenacity, saying that her action had put those behind her abduction to shame.
He pledged government’s further assistance to her school and cattle grazing projects, saying that government will take adequate security measures around her and the projects.
Sortor was accompanied on the visit by two community leaders from Emi Woro, Alhaji Dauda Abdullahi and Mr Mugode Bature.
