An American missionary who was kidnapped in central Nigeria in February was safely released to authorities and church leaders on Friday, her Free Methodist Church said in a statement. Reverend Phyllis Sortor, 71, a Free Methodist missionary to Nigeria, was handed over into the care of authorities and church leaders in Nigeria, the church said.
"We are deeply grateful to all who prayed for Phyllis' safe return and praise God the family representative was able to secure her release," David W. Kendall, for the Board of Bishops, said. Sortor was abducted from a church academy compound in Emiworo, in Nigeria's Kogi State, on February 23, the church said. Scores of expatriates have been kidnapped in the past in southern and central Nigeria, where kidnapping is a major criminal enterprise that makes millions of dollars a year. Central Kogi state has also had low level activity by Islamist militants linked to insurgent group Boko Haram, security sources said.