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| Mr Michael Obi |
Nigeria Police have confirmed that the kidnapped father of Mikel Obi has been found unharmed in Kano. The released Obi complained of stress while his wife was thankful to God and Nigerians for the end to the ordeal.
“I was taken right deep into the bush, in an isolated area Jos. I started begging them, yet they beat me mercilessly, kicking me with their boots,” Obi told reporters.
“There are five of them and they were dressed in military uniforms. They pushed me into a vehicle painted in military colours and began to drive very fast. I never knew a vehicle can fly like that.”
His face showed signs of the beatings that he said he received during his ordeal.
Mikel’s management company confirmed the news on Monday evening.
“Earlier today Michael Obi called his family to advise them that he had been released by his abductors,” Sport Entertainment and Media Group said in a statement.
“SEM have waited until now to release this information to ensure that Michael was safe.
“John Obi Mikel would like to thank everyone in Nigeria, his family and friends, Chelsea and their fans and his agents for their total support during this terrible time.”
Police spokesman Olusola Amore told The Associated Press that detectives found Mr. Obi on Monday in the northern city of Kano. Amore said police arrested those suspected in the kidnapping.
Amore said that investigators followed Obi’s trail from Plateau State to Kano. There, officers raided the area where Obi was held, freeing him and arresting a number of kidnappers, Amore said. Five suspected kidnappers, three of them said to be in Army uniform, were arrested by the police in a raid in Kano. The operation was carried out on Monday.
Obi was kidnapped on August 12 while on his way home from work in Jos.
Mikel’s mother Mrs. Rose Obi told THE PUNCH in Jos that the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Mr. Dipo Ayeni, broke the news to her family.
She said, “Yes, it is true that he has been freed. We thank God for His mercies in this time of trouble. He has done something special for us.
“We are also very grateful to the Nigeria Police and Nigerians in general. People from every part of the country truly identified with us and we are very appreciative. May God reward all of them.”
The Police report did not indicate if any ransom had been paid or if there was contact between the Obi family and the kidnappers but they are expected to show the kidnappers to the world in a press conference scheduled for Tuesday (today).
The family maintained the kidnappers made no contact with them through the 10-day ordeal
Culled from The PUNCH newspaper...
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