Former international footballer and Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi has revealed how he had to pay through the nose to get his dad released by kidnappers.
It can be recalled that in 2018, just four hours before the Super Eagles game against Argentina in Russia, Mikel had received news that his dad, Pa Michael Obi had been kidnapped along with his driver, Ishaya John, on the Markurdi – Enugu road.
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The football star despite knowing this, shrugged it off and went on to lead the Super Eagles in what was widely applauded as a high level of patriotism.
While speaking in an interview with Dubai Eye 103.8 Sport, Mikel explained that he received the disturbing news while traveling on the team bus to the stadium in St Petersburg.
The former Chelsea midfielder said a family member had called and told him that he had to call the kidnappers on a designated number, which he did, and was ordered to pay a ransom.
He revealed that although he was distraught by the news, he had to put it aside and go ahead with the match.
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“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,” he said.
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