I Paid Insane Money for My Father’s Release – Mikel Obi

I Paid Insane Money for My Father's Release - Mikel Obi

John Obi Mikel, a former Nigerian and Chelsea midfielder, disclosed in 2018 that he paid an “insane sum of money” to kidnappers to secure the release of his father, Pa Michael.

Pa Michael Obi and his chauffeur, Ishaya John, were kidnapped in 2018 while traveling from Jos to Enugu in a grey Toyota Prado along the route between Markurdi and Enugu.

In 2018, it was alleged that Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi discovered his father had been abducted. He was taken approximately four hours before Nigeria’s final World Cup match against Argentina.

Mikel reported hearing the tragic news on the team transport en route to the St. Petersburg stadium.
He stated that a relative had instructed him to contact the perpetrators at a particular number. A ransom demand followed his action.

He continued by stating that he was devastated by the news but needed to concentrate on the upcoming match.

I had to determine if I was in the proper state of mind to perform, and I was emotionally distressed. It threw me off balance. I was at a loss, but I realized I could not disappoint Nigeria’s 180 million inhabitants. I had to dismiss that notion and concentrate on doing what was right for my nation. Even the instructors and NFF staff were unaware, and I could only tell a few close friends.

They threatened to kill my father on the spot if I reported the incident to the police or told anyone about it. Because I didn’t want my dilemma to interfere with the team’s preparations for the major game, I refrained from discussing it with coach [Gernot Rohr]. I desperately wanted to speak with the instructor about it, but I was unable to.”

Several days later, however, at approximately 2:30 p.m., the police located them in the Egede Udi forest in Enugu State.

The hijackers then contacted the families and demanded N10 million in ransom. However, the operatives were able to intervene thanks to the intelligence they had gathered. After a gun conflict, the criminals abandoned their captives in the forest, and the authorities were able to swiftly locate and rescue them.

Mikel Obi, whose father had been kidnapped, led the Super Eagles against Argentina just four hours after communicating with the perpetrators.

Listen, we know that Mikel would pay, the kidnappers continued. We will murder his father if he does not comply. They believed they had nothing to lose by attempting. Mikel Obi asserted, “They threatened to murder and discard the corpse of my father.”

Strange occurrences occurred. I contacted them again after the game and attempted to negotiate a settlement. In the beginning, they demanded a preposterous amount of money, and when all was said and done, I still had to pay an absurd amount to liberate my father.

“I’m still struggling with it to this day. Even when experiencing a recall, I had to speak with the men on the phone. A rifle was trained on his head. They threatened to shoot him to kill him. A few months ago, they saw a story about it on my phone, but I have not informed them. “I haven’t told them yet because they’re only seven years old, but I hope to be able to tell them the story when they’re grown,” he said.

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