A 28-year-old agricultural engineer held captive for
three days in the west African country claims name-
dropping hisfamous compatriot calmed his violent
aggressors.
An Argentine kidnapped in Nigeria claims he owes
his life to Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. Santiago Lopez Menendez, a 28-year-old
agricultural engineer, had been working in the
west African nation since last year, planting soya
and corn crops close to Kontagora in the north-
west of the country.
But he was kidnapped earlier this week and beaten
violently by his captors, who hardly spoke any
English and thought he was north American. It was then in desperation that Menendez tried to
tell them he was Argentine and he was eventually
able to calm down his aggressors with repeated
cries of "Messi, Messi, Messi".
Held captive for three days, the engineer was
eventually released after the company who
employs him paid an undisclosed ransom to the
kidnappers. Back in Argentina, his brother Jorge spoke to Clarin
and said: "'Tell them I am grateful to Messi', he told
me. 'Naming him is what saved me.'" Menendez is now safe and will return to his
homeland in the next few hours.

Source: www.goal.com/en/news/585/argentina/2015/06/29/13138982/mentioning-messi-saved-my-life-says-argentine-kidnapped-in-nigeria

O messi