Police in Nigeria say they are making progress in their bid to secure the release of an American woman kidnapped in Kogi State earlier this week.
Reverend Phyllis Sortor was working as a Christian missionary, and was abducted on Monday (February 23) from the Hope Academy compound in Emiworo.
Sorter who lives within the school compound has been a teacher at the school since it was established in 2008.
Teacher Chukwuma Nssuka said he ran out of his classroom after hearing a gunshot on Monday. He said he saw armed men grab hold of Sorter.
“They took her from this fence, they took her through the fence and dropped her there. When they dropped her down, then they were just taking her. From there we ran to come and convene some of our children that we asked them to hide in the toilet side,” he said.
Police commissioner Samuel Ogunjemilusi said police were making progress in their investigation.
“I can assure you that we will get results…Tthe governor summoned all the security chiefs to his office, and gave us a marching order that we must do everything possible to secure the release of the reverend,” he told journalists.
Nigeria is one of the world’s worst countries for kidnapping, a major criminal enterprise that makes millions of dollars a year.
Criminal gangs have kidnapped scores of expatriates in southern andcentral Nigeria over the years. Central Kogi state has also had low level activity by Islamist militants linked to insurgent group Boko Haram, security sources say.
A U.S. State Department official said authorities had heard the reports but could not make further comments in the interest of privacy.
(Reuters wires)
