‘Pay Ransom, Save Me From Captivity!’, Kidnapped American Pleads

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EMI–OWORO is a small community located between Ajaokuta and Lokoja, Kogi State capital. It’s a community that is relatively unknown. Even commuters from the eastern flank of the country who traverse the ever busy Ajaokuta federal road may not notice the name. The only time the community has ever come into reckoning was in December 2012 when the governor of Kogi State, Capt. Idris Wada, was involved in an accident that occurred in the community.

But for the past few days, the community has crept into the headlines; this time, over the kidnapping of an American missionary, Mrs Phillis Sortor; who has been living in the community since 2008.

Sortor, the Director or, better put, the proprietress of Hope Academy, was kidnapped from the school compound on Monday morning by five gunmen. The Hope Academy itself is situated in a fenced environment. The school gate is about 10 feet away from the main road, but the buildings are hidden inside the fenced school.  Aside the newly constructed six blocks of classroom that house the secondary arm of the Hope Academy which is close to the gate, the remaining buildings are well tucked inside. The school is surrounded by hills.

The location provides good learning environment – open to the outside world, yet well hidden to be disturbed by the noise road users may make or from disturbances by villagers. As good as the location is, it is also a good ground for abduction to take place.

Sortor’s abduction occurred barely two days after the Director of Adavi Local Government, Abdulazeez Ohere, kidnapped, penultimate week, was released by the police from his abductors.

The kidnappers were said to have invaded Emi-Oworo, took the American out of her office, scaled the fence and escaped through the forest behind the school.

Sortor was said to have relocated from Akwa – Ibom to the village in February 2008. Why she developed so much love for the area may not yet be known. Maybe her love for nomadic education which the school provides or for the state, no one knows. Even after her husband, James Richard ‘Jim’ Sortor, fell sick and died on October 9, 2008, months after coming to Emi-Oworo, the woman only carried the corpse of to Texas, the US for burial and returned to Nigeria. JIM MEMORIAL HALL, in the school, is named after the husband.

HOPE ACADEMY

Hope Academy has 400 students in its nursery, primary and junior secondary schools. Out of the students, 60 percent are Fulani who are sought after by Sortor and given free education. The remaining 40 percent are from the community, some Christian children, and some students brought in from Eti – Ose; a community in Ondo State.

Only few of the students actually pay school fees (if the little fees charged could be called school fees). But since 2008, the school has not stopped running.

The school is supported by a non-governmental organization, International Child Care Ministry, ICCM, and since majority of the ICCM members fellowship at the Free Methodist Church, anywhere the NGO establishes a school, it plants a church. That explains the reason the Free Methodist Church is also situated within the compound.

Since the kidnapping, life in the school, the community and Kogi State has changed. The staff and students of the school are in pensive mood even when they try hard to hide it. It took courage and encouragement from outside sources not to close down the school.

The Principal of the school, Mrs. Shaibu Roselyn Ojone, said the abductors came in through the main gate and started shooting sporadically into the air, made for the victim’s office, took her and scaled the fence.

“The staff and students have been praying since for her safe return. Mrs Sortor is just like a grandmother to all of us. Peaceful, dutiful, she approaches every one of her staff as if they are her direct children. She never clashes with anybody. Not even with any of the villagers. We have been wondering why it has to be her. What did they want?,” Ojone told Sunday Vanguard.

“We have been crying, wailing, praying and fasting to God to release her safely to us.”

The Principal said there was initial thought of closing the school, but there was a message from the sponsoring body and Kogi State Commissioner of Police not to do so. “If not for their words, we would have closed the school. We had even started making efforts to move the students from Eti –Ose community in Ondo State back to their town,” she said.

Also reacting, the traditional leader of the community, Alhaji Saidu Abdullahi, who spoke with Sunday Vanguard through an interpreter, said since the “white” woman established the school in his domain, there had not been any problem with her.

“I gave the land to the woman free of charge to build the school. We have no reason to regret her coming to the village. The first bore-hole in the community was dug by her. She has also provided employment opportunity to some of the villagers to work at the Hope Academy. Only few of our children pay school fees. The remaining ones have been schooling courtesy of the scholarship offered by her,”Abdullahi said.

“Since her abduction, the community has been in pensive mood. Immediately we heard gun shots coming from the direction of her school, we mobilized the members of the community police committee to go there. We were the ones who also called the police and showed them the path through which the abductor escaped.

“We have also been praying in our traditional way for her release”.

CONDEMNATION

Reactions have continued to trail the abduction. Aside Kogi State government, an NGO in the state, Great Transformation Support Initiative, GTSI, lent its voice to condemn the action.

The state coordinator of the group, Zacch Jonathan, said, “We hereby condemn the abduction of the American missionary, Rev Phyllis Sortor, and call for her unconditional release.”

RANSOM

The kidnappers made contact with the school demanding N60 million ransom. The kidnappers were said to have called the  Superintendent of the Free Methodist Missionary Church, Mr Mathius Emenike, on Tuesday night, demanding the ransom.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the kidnappers called again on Wednesday and reduced the ransom to N30 million while the woman, who was allowed to speak to the church Superintendent, begged him to inform the sponsors in American to see how the money could be raised to effect her release.

The Principal of the school, Ojone, who confirmed the ransom, said, “The kidnappers spoke with the Superintendent  of the missionary church, Mr Mathius Emenike, where the ransom was reduced to N30 million.

“In the conversation, Mrs Sortor pleaded with Emenike to try, by all means, to raise the money to enable her regain her freedom.”

Ojone appealed to security agents in the state to come to the aid of the school for the rescue of the woman.

HOW CHINESE ENCOURAGE KIDNAPPING IN THE STATE’

Kidnappings in Kogi State have occurred mostly in the central senatorial flank, but not heard of in Ajaokuta or Lokoja until some Chinese came into the area.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that since November, last year, when a Chinese worker was kidnapped in Ganaja village, a suburb of Lokoja metropolis, kidnappings have surged. The police were said to have advised a Chinese firm not to pay the ransom demanded but were rebuff.

The Chinese firm, apparently not sure the police could handle the situation, allegedly paid the ransom. That was said to have done a great harm. Within the next 30 days, seven other Chinese workers were believed to have been secretly abducted and ransom secretly paid.

Kogi State government was allegedly told the story when the Chinese Ambassador visited the state last December and informed of the ordeal his citizens encountered in the hands of kidnappers while working on Ajaokuta Road.

Credits: Boluwaji Obahopo

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