[size=25pt]Christian Obodo: I outran my captors[/size]

The kidnapped midfielder has narrated his ordeal in the hands of his abductors after he escaped from the gang on Sunday

Jun 11, 2012 4:12:00 PM


Contrary to earlier reports that Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo was rescued after a commando-style police operation, the footballer has narrated his amazing escape from the hands of the gang that kidnapped him in Warri on Saturday.

The Udinese player who was on loan at Lecce was abducted on Saturday morning while on his way to a church in Efurrun, a suburb of Warri in Nigeria’s Delta State.

His abductors had requested for the sum of €150,000 from his family in order to secure his release, but he escaped from them before the ransom was paid.

"I was on my way to church and I had just parked my car when six boys, very young boys, just came to me and started ordering me to come with them,” Obodo told KickOffNigeria.com.

"I told them to take it easy, that I would do what they say, and they took me to their car, blindfolded me and drove away. I asked where we were going, and they said Port Harcourt, then Benin, then Asaba.”

After a confusing drive out of town, the player ended up in a jungle for the night.

"Instead, when they took off the blindfold, we were in a forest. That night, I slept on the ground.

"But they were very nice to me. They didn't touch me. They didn't take any of my jewellery or wallet or anything else. We were just talking like old friends. They assured me that nothing would happen to me.


"I even prayed with them.

"Then the next morning, they started to move again. It was later that I discovered that it was because the whole state had been covered by security operatives. They told me all the roads, even the rivers and creeks were being watched by security."

The player said that his kidnappers gave hints that his ordeal was organised by a close associate.

"They said it was somebody close to me who set everything up, someone that I have been helping. They said the person told them I would be in that church by 8am that morning. I couldn't believe it. But they asked how they would know my movement to go and wait for me there. I didn't know what to say."

In a quick resolution to the saga that was unusual, Obodo played his part in escaping from the kidnappers.

"Five of them left to go and get the money, leaving me with one of them. But he later said we had to leave this place because the area was being monitored. He told me to promise him that I would not shout or run away. I told him I'd been cooperating since they took me and since they had promised to release me that day, I would do what he said.

"When we got to the town, he got a call informing him that two or three of them had been captured. I heard the other one telling him to take me back and tie me up in the forest.

“At that point, I told myself I wasn't going back into that forest. So I told him that it's possible his people wanted to betray him, that they may have taken the money and run. I asked him to let me call my people to find out if the money had been picked up.

"He agreed, but said he did not have credit on his phone, so we would have to walk back into the village to buy airtime.

"As we were walking back to the village, we saw a group of people sitting around, so we stopped to ask for a recharge card. They said they didn't have it there.

"He now said we should move on to the next place. At that point, I pushed him and started running and screaming that I am Chris Obodo and that they should help.

"The people immediately gathered. Luckily, they also had some vigilante people around, they call them Black Beret, and they came and got me.

"The police were also nearby, because they had been tracking them through the phone calls. That was when I started crying and giving thanks to God. That is how I got out."

Despite the trauma, Obodo says he has no immediate plans to stop returning home to Warri. "It won't stop me from going to Warri. That is where I have lived all my life. I'm a Warri boy and it's not like I go out anyhow.

"Whenever I come home, I play football, three-a-side, in my compound with my friends, I don't go out clubbing like I used to when I was much younger, so why should I stop coming?"

He did, however, admit that the experience will leave scars.

"When something like this happens, you learn a lot. It opened my eyes to a lot of things."

Obodo said he is grateful for the groundswell of support. "I just want to thank everybody. My family got a lot of calls, a lot of support, and we just want to thank everyone,” he said.


http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4093/nigeria/2012/06/11/3165907/christian-obodo-i-outran-my-captors

What an amazing account of calmness under pressure, and psychological strategizing on the fly. ONLY when the moment was right, Mr. Obodo looked at his extensively trained soccer-playing feet, and said "Feet, don't fail me now ", before doing a quick 100 yard sprint, all the while hollerin' for backup.

[size=14pt]You da MAN , Obodo [/size] ha ha ha. I just LOVE this story, and SOMEBODY has GOT to make a movie about it. [size=8pt][/size]

Jakumo: What an amazing account of calmness under pressure, and psychological strategizing on the fly. ONLY when the moment was right, Mr. Obodo looked at his extensively trained soccer-playing feet, and said "Feet, don't fail me now ", before doing a quick 100 yard sprint, all the while hollerin' for backup.

You da MAN , Obodo ha ha ha. I just LOVE this story, and SOMEBODY has GOT to make a movie about it.

Lol

I think the guy was very brave. I was sceptical when i heard he was rescued in a commando style knowing that if a gun battle had taken place, surely Obodo would have been dead by now

Lol. I remember when my elder sister was kidnapped, she had to escape from the trunk of a moving vehicle while they crossing speed bumps.
It's always an advantage to be smart and security conscious. Obodo really impressed me, although his abductors were not the smartest kidnappers, most "kidnappees" will wait in the jungle and cry for the police to come to their aid.

Kai...Nigerian Police and their lies!! Taking credit for what they didn't do. If the poor guy had not been sharp enough, he would still be in the kidnapper's clutches. They could even negotiate with the kidnappers sef, for a cut in the ransome...na wa for Nigeria o!!1

Na wa o. Lord have mercy. I wonder what he did to whoever sent kidnappers to meet him in church. He'd better be more careful because next time they might be a harsher and more experienced kidnapping group.

hahaha obodo u too much jor power bike dey ur leg

Lol. Obodo dont you think those guys may have gotten the dough and then decided to free you stlylishly? Keep safe bro.

Lol @NPF, why una dey lie na, una say na una rescue Obodo; now breeze don blow we do see the chicken yansh!

djustice: Kai...Nigerian Police and their lies!! Taking credit for what they didn't do. If the poor guy had not been sharp enough he would still be in the kidnapper's clutches. They could even negotiate with the kidnappers sef, for a cut in the ransome...na wa for Nigeria o!!1

You guys should give the police some credit on this.Go back to Obodos explanation and decode that HE WOULD NOT HAVE ESCAPED if not for the police.

Who covered the whole state,who was monitoring the roads and creeks thereby putting the kidnappers under siege,who was monitoring their calls and using it to close in on them that forced them to move from the forest to open town,who made a fake call to the kidnappers that the ransom was ready for which 5 of them left and left obodo with just one of them,from whom he was able to escape later.Before his escape,who arrested three of the kidnappers that had gone to pick the ransom money,I can go on and on and on.#
I know the NPF could be dissappointing in most cases,but on this occasion,they were VERY instrumental to Obodos escape.
Give the devil his due and lets move on

Thank God for his life. i wonder how the state fa secretary who said that he was showing off would see him now.police also should be commended for their own effort.

Lmao @ Kidnappers not having credit on his phone.

I bet if they had found a recharge card sales person, the kidnapped woulda had to pay for the credit to call his people to find out if they had paid his kidnappers the ransom and to make sure the other kidnapper has not been cheated by his comrades.

Well no one ever said these were smart criminals.

na wa o

NIGERIA IS A JOKE.

Thank God for life!!!
Why Effurun, Delta state of all place again ? ? ? ? ?

I have always doubted the police angle. If police had attempted to rescue him, he would be dead by now. Ask the kidnapped German & Italian.

Where are the yeye policemen?

It is always someone close by that gets to arrange for the kidnap so be careful who you keep closely

WHO KNOW MAN, NA DAY KILL MAN..

thank God o!

Naija police exposed! Chai! what do they gain from this incessant lies? Are they trying to rebrand their image? At least this victim is alive to say the truth. Make them begin to become truthful and accountable.

rasputinn:

You guys should give the police some credit on this.Go back to Obodos explanation and decode that HE WOULD NOT HAVE ESCAPED if not for the police.

Who covered the whole state,who was monitoring the roads and creeks thereby putting the kidnappers under siege,who was monitoring their calls and using it to close in on them that forced them to move from the forest to open town,who made a fake call to the kidnappers that the ransom was ready for which 5 of them left and left obodo with just one of them,from whom he was able to escape later.Before his escape,who arrested three of the kidnappers that had gone to pick the ransom money,I can go on and on and on.#
I know the NPF could be dissappointing in most cases,but on this occasion,they were VERY instrumental to Obodos escape.
Give the devil his due and lets move on

Spot on! Give credit when it's due.

Buh he never said that police didnt play any role in his rescue op

infact with d narration. It seems d police played most important role.

Miroslav klose: [size=25pt]Christian Obodo: I outran my captors[/size]




"I even prayed with them.

Prayed ke? Na wah for people oh!

Obodo shld represent us at the Olympics

rasputinn:

You guys should give the police some credit on this.Go back to Obodos explanation and decode that HE WOULD NOT HAVE ESCAPED if not for the police.

Who covered the whole state,who was monitoring the roads and creeks thereby putting the kidnappers under siege,who was monitoring their calls and using it to close in on them that forced them to move from the forest to open town,who made a fake call to the kidnappers that the ransom was ready for which 5 of them left and left obodo with just one of them,from whom he was able to escape later.Before his escape,who arrested three of the kidnappers that had gone to pick the ransom money,I can go on and on and on.#
I know the NPF could be dissappointing in most cases,but on this occasion,they were VERY instrumental to Obodos escape.
Give the devil his due and lets move on

Exactly, the NPF tried in this particular case. The only thing is that they should work in such manner when a common citizen is also kidnapped not only when a high profile Nigerian is kidnapped

dayokanu: Obodo shld represent us at the Olympics

relay or sprint?

So you mean the story I heard about Police SWAT cars and shoot outs, dodging of bullets, rolling on the ground while illuding danger was all lies. What about the fact that they fought off 50 or so guys was not true. Hmmm. I dont know who to believe, CO or the cops. Its such a noble bunch.

Na who we go believe now!

I bet he was thankful he took part in the sprint exersizes during training. You see, you never know when things come in handy. On a serious note, Im thankful for your life.

Friend take time, were you there, answer me were you there? They said they rescued him (AFTER) he escaped. the just forgot to mention after. No biggie.

2mch: Naija police exposed! Chai! what do they gain from this incessant lies? Are they trying to rebrand their image? At least this victim is alive to say the truth. Make them begin to become truthful and accountable.

Tnk God, @least the police tried this time by securing the whole state, buh i'm hapi they did not engage in a shotout with the gang, orelse na police go use their gun fire obodo by mistake....

From what he said, it's obvious the police played a role in his rescue and there is no where he said "no police operation rescued him" as written by the poster. U guys should mind what u write.