Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi-Mikel, has explained that in 2018, he spent an “insane amount of money” to secure the release of his father, Pa Michael, from a kidnapper’s hideout.
Five years ago, the football hero’s father was kidnapped along with his driver, Ishaya John, while they were traveling to Enugu from Jos in Plateau State.
In an interview with Dubai Eye 103.8 Sport, he recalled learning about his father’s kidnapping about four hours before Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup match against Argentina.
He described how a family member asked him to call the kidnappers on a specific number, which he did, and was then asked to pay a ransom.
The former Chelsea midfielder also revealed that while he was saddened by the news, he had to put it aside and play the game.
He said;
“I was emotionally distraught and I had to make the decision about whether I was mentally ready to play. 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. I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first. I could not even inform the coaches or NFF staff and only a very tight circle of my friends knew.
I was told that they would shoot my dad instantly if I reported to the authorities or told anybody. I also did not want to discuss it with the coach [Gernot Rohr] because I did not want my issue to become a distraction to him or the rest of the team on the day of such an important game. As much as I wanted to discuss it with the coach, I could not.
The abductors then started calling the families to demand a ransom of N10 million but the operatives acting on intelligence information swooped on them. A gun duel ensued which forced the hoodlums to abandon their victims inside the forest and they were promptly rescued.
They [the kidnappers] said listen, we know, it is Mikel he would pay. If he doesn’t, we are going to shoot his dad. They said they had nothing to lose. They would shoot my dad and dump him somewhere.
It was horrible. After the game, I got back on the phone, tried to negotiate with them and spoke with them. They were calling some ridiculous amount of money for a start, and in the end, I still had to pay some crazy amount of money to get my dad out.
Even now, I still go through it. Even when I got a flashback, I had to speak to the guys on the phone. There was a gunpoint at his head. They said they would shoot him, kill him. I have not told my kids about it, but a few months ago, they looked at my phone and saw the news about it. Obviously, I have not told them about it because they are young kids, 7 years, but one day when they grow up, I will be able to share the story with them.”
