July 4 – Nigerian captain John Obi Mikel has revealed how he played through his country’s crucial World Cup tie with Argentina knowing that his father had been kidnapped.
In an extraordinary saga, Mikel says he was asked to pay a ransom but did not tell anyone as the kidnappers threatened to shoot his father if authorities were informed.
Mikel reportedly received a call four hours before kickoff from a family member while on the team bus to the St Petersburg Stadium. He was told he had to call the kidnappers on a designated number and they apparently demanded N10 million ($28,000) for the safe return of his father, Pa Michael Obi who had been on his way to a funeral in southeastern Nigeria when he was abducted.
Mikel says that he did not tell his bosses at the Nigeria Football Federation or coach Gernot Rohr, opting to keep things to himself and face Argentina as if nothing had happened.
“I was confused. I did not know what to do, but in the end I knew that I could not let 180 million Nigerians down,” Mikel said. “I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first. I was told that they would shoot my dad instantly if I reported to the authorities or told anybody.
“And I did not want to discuss it with the coach because I did not want my issue to become a distraction to the coach or the rest of the team on the day of such an important game. So as much as I wanted to discuss it with the coach, I could not do it.”
Mikel played the full 90 minutes of the game as Marcos Rojo scored a late winner for Argentina which saw the Super Eagles eliminated.
Both Mikel’s father and his driver were subsequently rescued after a gun battle with police but the former reportedly needed hospital treatment after being tortured while the kidnappers managed to flee the scene.
After Nigeria lost the game 2-1 Mikel flew to his home to England and is now reported to have returned to China, where he currently plays his club football.
“I would like to thank the police authorities involved in ensuring the safe return of my father after the ordeal this week. I will also like to thank everyone for their kind words of support,” he added.
Enugu State Police Command spokesperson Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement on Tuesday: “The abductors started calling to demand a ransom of N10 million before police operatives acted on intelligence information and swooped on them. In the process of the rescue, a gun duel ensued between police operatives and the kidnappers which forced the hoodlums to abandon their victims inside the forest and they were promptly rescued.”
Mikel said security in his homeland is totally out of control. “We are seeing a spate of terror attacks in some parts of the country which has already sown insecurity among citizens.”
“It does not matter what your status is in Nigeria, everyone deserves to feel safe and secured as life becomes more risky than ever. My father was hurt and tortured during his ordeal and this is unacceptable.”
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