Obi Mikel Opens Up On How He Got Informed Of His Dad’s Kidnap In Nigeria Just Two Hours before A Critical FIFA World Cup Match Against Argentina.

Former Nigerian football captain John Obi Mikel has revealed how he got informed of his dad’s kidnap in Nigeria just two hours before a critical FIFA World Cup match against Argentina.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel said he was torn between his duty as captain and his crisis but he chose to play the match while negotiating with the kidnappers, who demanded a ransom.

The ordeal was intensified by threatening calls during the game, with the kidnappers warning Mikel that his father would be harmed if their demands weren’t met.

After the match, Mikel turned to his then-club owner, Roman Abramovich for help and the latter offered to send a team to locate Mikel’s father, but ultimately, Mikel paid a ransom to secure his father’s release.

“Kidnappers love my dad, No, they love my money. “I didn’t want to let the team down. I was the captain. I thought about it in my room, and then I went out there and played the game.

“They called me, knowing I was going into the game. They thought it would push me to pay whatever they wanted. I spoke to them, and they said, ‘We’re going to shoot the [expletive] out of him if you don’t pay.’ My dad was on the phone saying, ‘Just give them the money, they are beating me up.

“Roman being Roman said, ‘Just give me 24 hours. Let me send my people down, and I’ll find your dad.’ I thought, how the [expletive] are you going to do that? Nigeria is a massive country. But he said, ‘Don’t worry about it, just give me 24 hours.

“I didn’t know, but I had to negotiate, and I had to pay a lot of money to get him out. But my dad was safe,” he said.

Source: The Nation

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com