Mikel begs kidnappers: Let my dad go - he's an old man


Distraust Chelsea star John Obi Mikel has pleaded with the gang who snatched his dad in Nigeria to free him.

The 24-year-old midfielder told of his shock at hearing Michael had vanished after leaving the ­transport company he runs on Friday.

There has been no ransom note and no one has made contact with the player or his family since his kidnap.

Mikel, who at the weekend played for the Blues despite the anguish of knowing Michael was missing, looked ­devastated as he said: “Whoever has got my dad or knows where he is, please contact me and hopefully he should be released.

“He’s an old man and hasn’t done any harm to anyone as far as I know.

“I have always tried to help the country in every way I can, playing for the country, serving the country. This is the time for the country to help me in this situation.

“This is still a shock to me and my brother, we can’t believe it and we don’t know what to do.”

Kidnapping is common in Nigeria.

Targets are usually relatives of the rich or western oil workers, snatched and held to ransom.

Michael vanished in Jos – a city Mikel insists is not normally associated with abductions.

The £70,000-a-week Nigerian ­international, said to be the seventh highest-paid African player in Europe, added: “It is normally safe in Jos and this is very rare. My family have lived there all our lives and the kidnappers will know who my dad is and who his son is.”

Mikel said he took the agonising decision to play in Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at Stoke on Sunday after his mum begged him to.

“It was very ­difficult," he added. "The manager asked me how I felt and I said I didn’t want to let my team down, the club down or my family.

“If I didn’t play I think my mum would be very sad with me. I think I made their day by playing. I spoke to my mum before the game and she said to be strong and do make sure I do well in the game.

“My team-mates didn’t really know. My family didn’t want to tell me about my dad. They wanted to wait until after the game but the manager had to tell me, he said I had to know.”

Mikel’s agent, John Shittu, praised his courage for playing against Stoke.

He said: “He is totally devastated. We were not sure whether to tell him before the game.

“But after speaking to manager Andre Villas-Boas and sporting director Mike Emenalo we agreed he had a right to be informed of such a serious incident. He was under a lot of stress but he showed a lot of character and mental strength to play.

“It’s been tough for the young man. The family in Jos reported his dad missing at the police station as expected but we’re taking all necessary measures to find him.

“We’ve told him to be brave and to stay calm.”

Police in Nigeria have told Mikel, who has won 30 caps for his country, not to return to Jos over fears for his safety.

Plateau state police ­commissioner Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni confirmed Michael had disappeared but said there were no further details.

He added: “We are still searching to find his ­location.”

Chelsea said yesterday: “Everyone at this football club was very concerned to hear that John’s father has been reported as missing and possibly abducted.

“We will give Mikel and his family our full support at this difficult time.”

Mikel’s representatives Sport ­Entertainment and Media announced the news of the kidnap.

The agency said: “Thus far no ransom demand has been received.”

**

Kidnappings are common in Nigeria, with the families of footballers targeted because they are rich.

It is in the oil-producing Niger Delta in the south where the majority of abductions for ransom occur.

The older brother of Everton star Joseph Yobo was kidnapped there in 2008.

Nornu was freed after 10 days but it is unclear whether a ransom was ever paid.

Several Brits have been snatched in recent years including construction and oil workers


Source : http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Chelsea-news-John-Mikel-begged-kidnappers-in-Nigeria-to-release-father-no-ransom-demand-received-article786026.html

wen d law protect criminals, crimes will always occur,

na wa o
the rich ppl for naija no safe again o kai

I pity dis dude ooo. They wan spoil ur career, This will b d work of d RED devil.

"

Jos is not known for kidnapping. Did Niger-Delta boys move to Jos? If it is only kidnapping it is better,  than the extra-judicious killings going on in Jos and the Boko Haram bombing elsewhere in the North.

It  is a sad incidence no one would wont happen to him anyway!!. Lets pray the abductors release the poor man in peace.

I pity the guy sha but this lines I don;t agree with “I have always tried to help the country in every way I can, playing for the country, serving the country. This is the time for the country to help me in this situation." was he not paid? I mean heavily paid? The only people serving our country who are in a position to make such comment are teachers, few honest police officers who day and night put their lives on the line and the military despite being paid peanut they serve this nation more than any sect of people, name it;the  civil war, Liberia, Mogadishu, Sudan, Bakassi etc. When all these fat feed athletes start whining about serving the country it makes me want to throw up.

What kind of disgrace is this? Nigerians are becoming something else. wetin self? All we are known for is kidnapping, militancy, corruption, poverty, 419, terrorism, boko haram, witchcraft, MEND, OPC, MASSOB, Muttalab, police brutality, illiteracy, disease etc. I tire o.

Abeg i don tire for naija, if these people want to kidnap people, they should kidnap people that are looting government money not people that are working and a making a honest living. just saw this on the news in the U.S i felt so ashamed.

Go job boys. Mikel must drop soemthing for us.

Thank God am poor.

^^^ my sister just pray to God, that you don't resemble who they want. those guys don't discriminate btw poor or rich. they know that someone somewhere will drop something or even waste the person.

even d kidnapper will be in NL, posting dere owm comment,

2 bad 9ja.

even d kidnapper will be in NL, posting dere owm comment,

2 bad 9ja.

Thank God am poor.

Hope you are enjoying your status?

@baba Eleko

Baba_Eleko:

Go job boys. Mikel must drop soemthing for us.

Eleko as you called yourself, hope  your head is at home, don't hide under the shadow of nl and attract curse to yourself. Even if you are one of kidnappers, you are likely going to fall into the hands of your strange fellows one day , no amount of "dropping" will free you, then you will have a taste of your own pill because whatever a man sows so he reaps, nature never allow vacuum.

Hardeyorlah:

Thank God am poor.

guy dont say dat to ur self is bad

The kidnappers are Man U fans. . . .bunch of kidnappers,cheats and thugs !

[color=#006600][/color]nice target.on to d nxt one. Gbmss

nothing dey happen, they can only collect money( afterall he earns 70,000 pounds per week)

Na watin man do man 4 dis life self, na only God go save man 4 dis Naija.

I pity the guy sha but this lines I don;t agree with “I have always tried to help the country in every way I can, playing for the country, serving the country. This is the time for the country to help me in this situation." was he not paid? I mean heavily paid? The only people serving our country who are in a position to make such comment are teachers, few honest police officers who day and night put their lives on the line and the military despite being paid peanut they serve this nation more than any sect of people, name it;the  civil war, Liberia, Mogadishu, Sudan, Bakassi etc. When all these fat feed athletes start whining about serving the country it makes me want to throw up.

@woodwork,
if you actually wrote this without alcohol and drugs, then u belong to the zoo. everybody apart from you knows that players in their honouring national team calls are only giving services to their nations. those that are been paid are the ones u mentioned above i.e police and military because their salaries are structured in the govt laws. if you are talking about been under paid, i will urge you to save your protest for another topic. these players are paid only by their various clubs because a national team like that of england that has high salary earners like rooney, terry, cole, gerald, ferdinand, lampard, barry and a very long list of other players can never be paid by their country for example when their played in a one month tourne. if you calculate their weekly wages and ask england to pay that for one month, it will amount to disaster. mikel's one week wage can take care of what nigeria gives to the players and that is called match bonus so learn.
if you know where his father is, let us know because that is a national shame. all the international news media have the news. what will be the fate of other players now? on the other hand, inviting all the world leaders and telling them all the lies pdp can form is one thing and mikel's father miss is another now. who knows what jonathan will tell the world now?

This is very unfortunate. Does'nt speak well of our national state of security to the outside world.

dis is a tragedy,y must b my mikel,dis is very bad and am afraid of dis country,pls dey shld release d old man he had done notin.

Donlittle:

na wa o
the rich ppl for naija no safe again o kai

It can only get worse

Dis the handiwork of MAN-U fans.bastard.

1025:

@woodwork,
if you actually wrote this without alcohol and drugs, then u belong to the zoo. everybody apart from you knows that players in their honouring national team calls are only giving services to their nations. those that are been paid are the ones u mentioned above i.e police and military because their salaries are structured in the govt laws. if you are talking about been under paid, i will urge you to save your protest for another topic. these players are paid only by their various clubs because a national team like that of england that has high salary earners like rooney, terry, cole, gerald, ferdinand, lampard, barry and a very long list of other players can never be paid by their country for example when their played in a one month tourne. if you calculate their weekly wages and ask england to pay that for one month, it will amount to disaster. mikel's one week wage can take care of what nigeria gives to the players and that is called match bonus so learn.
if you know where his father is, let us know because that is a national shame. all the international news media have the news. what will be the fate of other players now? on the other hand, inviting all the world leaders and telling them all the lies pdp can form is one thing and mikel's father miss is another now. who knows what jonathan will tell the world now?

Guy, you must be the one under a form of illusion. Woodcook is right. Mikel gets paid handsomely for any match he plays for Nigeria. Even Civil servants including policemen who are daily exposed to risk don't get paid as much in a year as what Mikel earns playing just one match for Nigeria. When the players don't get paid, they put up all kinds of attitude including shunning subsequent matches meanwhile NIPOST Pensioneers are being owed for 76months!

Maybe you need to check the meaning of service again.

maybe they want to eat their own share of chelsea money

Stuffs like this would continue to happen until the day all of us would take security,politics,leadership and accountability serious in this country.
Today it's Mikel,tomorrow twud be who  

Hardeyorlah:

Thank God am poor.

Guy you still got a chance to live even though you dead broke.