Former Super Eagles captain and ex-Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has opened up on paying a huge ransom to save his father from kidnappers during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In an interview with Dubai Eye 103.8 Sport, Mikel recounted how his father, Pa Michael, was abducted by kidnappers while on his way to a funeral.
Despite the ordeal, Mikel led Nigeria against Argentina, just four hours after speaking with the kidnappers.
“They [the kidnappers] said listen, we know, it 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 Obi said.
“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 gun pointed 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.”