Former Nigerian mid-fielder and Chelsea legend John Mikel-Obi has revealed how he paid so much money to rescue his father Pa Michael from the hands of kidnappers.
Mikel disclosed this during an interview with Dubai Eye 103.8 Sport.
News About Nigeria recalled that Mikel’s father was abducted by kidnappers along the Makurdi-Enugu road on his way to a funeral back in 2018 when Obi Mikel was representing the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Mikel had bravely led the Super Eagles against Argentina four hours after he spoke with the kidnappers who kidnapped his father.
“They said listen, we know, 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,” Mikel narrated.
“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.” Mikel concluded.
Recall that Mikel Obi had since quitted professional football to pursue other careers. However, he continues to support the round leather game in several capacities.
