An American woman working as a Christian missionary in central Nigeria was kidnapped Monday morning, the website of the Free Methodist Church and a security source revealed on Tuesday. 'Early this morning we received a report that Reverend Phyllis Sortor, our missionary in Nigeria, was abducted from the Hope Academy compound in Emiworo, Kogi State, Nigeria by several persons,' the church said. According to a report by AFP, a group of masked gunmen raided Hope Academy, the school that Sorter and her church built in the village of Emiworo around 10am. Scroll down for video Missing missionary:  Rev Phyllis Sorter (pictured) was kidnapped from a Christian school in central Nigeria Monday morning
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Reverend Phyllis Sortor was kidnapped from Hope Academy in the central Nigerian village of Emiworo around 10am on Monday
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Reports say masked gunman raided the Christian school and fired sporadically to scare people away before taking Sorter hostage
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Sorter has been working in Africa as a missionary for the past 10 years
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Friends say she has infuriated local leaders by building Christian schools in the majority Muslim country
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However, the motivations behind the kidnapping are still unknown
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The State Department, FBI and Nigerian authorities are working together to try to free Sorter
The State Department and @placeholder are also working to locate the American hostage.