John Obi Mikel was told his father had been kidnapped and would be killed if he reported anything just hours before Nigeria’s World Cup clash with Argentina.
The super eagles skipper kept the news to himself as he did not want it to prove a distraction to the nation’s football team, he told the Guardian newspaper.
The 31-year-old’s father was tortured and put through inhuman conditions during the week-long ordeal. He is now receiving emergency treatment in hospital after being rescued by the lame police authorities in Nigeria.
Mikel narrated how he got the horrible news just before the all important match between his sides and Argentina.
“I played while my father was in the hands of bandits,” Mikel said. “I took a call four hours before kick-off to tell me what had happened.
“I was emotionally distraught and I had to make the decision about whether I was mentally ready to play. I was confused. I did not know what to do but, in the end, I knew that I could not let 180 million Nigerians down. I could not even inform the coaches or NFA staff and only a very tight circle of my friends knew.
“I was told that they would shoot my dad instantly if I reported to the authorities or told anybody. I also did not want to discuss it with the coach [Gernot Rohr] because I did not want my issue to become a distraction to him or the rest of the team on the day of such an important game.”
Mikel played the full 90 minutes of the game, it shows what a professional he really is. It is a very difficult situation and to be able to play such a volatile game for 90 minutes deserve a great recommendation. Typical of Nigeria, the guy had the love of the nation at heart and played through pains while the nation its self had nothing for him.
Nigeria in recent years has completely become a lawless and a failed state, the government has failed to protect the citizens, kidnapping and killings is just the order of the day, if a day passed without a kidnap or Terrorist groups (Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram) killing people then it is not Nigeria.
Islamic terrorist aided by the government are wiping out Christians in the northern states, killing them in hundreds everyday like chickens and not a single person have been arrested for it. the life of a Nigerian is worth less than that of a cow under the Buhari Administration
In the south, its kidnapping, arm robbery and ritual killings. so if you escape islamic terrorist in the north you are likely to be kidnapped, robbed or killed for rituals in the south.
The government is even involved in ethnic cleansing in some states in the country and the world is silent over all the killing.
The kidnappers if arrested will be back on the street in no time after a handsome settlement with the police.
The inspector general of police is a billionaire and so also several of the serving security chiefs. They live it large, a millionaire lifestyle wile still in active service. That is the state of the nation.
The police are so corrupt that the kidnappers have no regard whatsoever for the law, they know the police will come for a slice of the pie at some stage.
Evans a celebrity millionaire kidnapper arrested and paraded by the police in time past is still a celebrity and still dribbling the failed justice system.
Kidnapping has become a big business in Nigeria because of a failed government, system and judiciary.