Recently, Chief Michele Obi, father of Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, was kidnapped by gunmen in Enugu, for the second time.
Pa Obi, spoke with TANKO SHITU on how he escaped death by the whiskers after his return to Jos, Plateau state.
My close shelve with death at kidnappers’den Chief Michele Obi, is my name I’m 74 years old, and on my way going home for family meeting just very close to 9th mile Enugu, I told my driver that I wanted to buy eatable Okpa (grinded bean corn), not long we passed one check point, we started hearing gun shots on our front movement, we have no option than to stop as we stopped it was around 4:00 pm, evening time, and that moment we thought it was armed robbers, my driver turned to look back and thought of reversing back, and automatically there was another car at our back and that was exactly the kidnappers and there were gun shots at the back and people started running, my driver and I came down thinking that they were armed robbers who would like to rob us and take our belongings.
We tried to lay down for them to do their searching but they said no, they drew me and started beating me.
Then, they dragged us right inside the bush, so we continued at some points into the bush.
At a time, I couldn’t continue, I felt down, they still beat me, they asked my driver to carry me on his back.
They were six armed men with their mask.
They were Fulanis, no doubt about it.
I heared them speak when I was in Gombe, I lived with Fulani so I know Fulanis.
We walked throughout the night inside the bush for about three miles until the next morning when the day broke.
When we stopped under the tree, they asked us to seat down.
I asked them what exactly do you want from us, they gave me my phones and said I should talk with my children, and that I should not speak in Igbo and if I let anyone tell the Police or any security man that they are with me, they will kill me.
They told me that they need N100 million, from me, they spoke in Hausa and at times we spoke pigin English with them.
I said how can I be able to afford that amount, they said why should I said so, when they heard that my son sends N50 million to me every two weeks.
From there, we started bidding the price.
They insisted that N100 million is what I will give them or they will kill me there, that was after two days of my stay with them.
We started from N2 million and they disagreed.
I later told them that I can give them N5 million, they still disagreed.
But on Friday, we agreed to give them N10 million.
I called my son Tony, the elder brother, who called his other brother Ebele.
Tony and Ebele called Michele John Obi, and he was the one that sent them the money and when the money was not brought by Friday evening, one of them gave me dirty slap and up till now I have eye problem, they left us under tree and under rainfall so that was what happened.
After five days of the kidnapping, they told me to tell my children to take the money to 9th mile, that was on Monday, when Tony my son brought the money.
I told the gang leader who now led four of his men to collect the money; the other two were left to guard us.
About two hours later, when we were walking in the bush, we heard gun shots, my driver and I felt down to take cover, but the two kidnappers ran into the bush, the Police men met us laying down, and told us to wake up that they came to rescue us.
My food at the kidnappers’ den They only fed me with Okpa, only the day they gave me one and gave my driver one with pure water.
And God in his miracle did not make me feel hungry all I was after was how do I get out of this people, but I didn’t feel any hungry or tasty of water.
The kidnapping was an organized something, because after they kidnapped us, they asked are you not Michele Obi’s father, and I was told that even before my kidnapping, somebody called Michele Obi, and told him.
So they were sent to come and do this thing.
They told him in other to hamper his mind, but luckily my son didn’t take it so hard and he has to play his football normal.
Similarities between the first kidnapped in 2011 and the most recent one Those that kidnapped me in 2011, treated me better than the recent ones.
Those ones beat me only when they are trying to put me into their car here in Jos, but when they took me to Kano, they kept me in their bunker.
The only thing was that I couldn’t see sunlight but they gave me mattress and pillow, they fed me well in all the 11 days, and no ransom was paid up til when the security rescued me and they arrested all the kidnappers.
They asked for huge amount of money and I told them that even the owner of Chelsea didn’t have that money talk less of a player, they gave me my phones and asked me to talk with my family so that they can know that I’m still alive.
They talked with Tony my son and Shittu, Michel’s manger.
My relationship with Mikel Obi As I learnt foreign journalists wrote against him.
That is very unfair that when his father was forcefully kidnapped in 2011, he did not bother to come and see his father, to cry for the punishment his father received, just because of him.
And this second one happened again, though he sent the money as Ebele told me, but that is not enough.
That he was almost on holidays in London, has not gone back to his club in China, that is why those people wrote against him.
He should rush into Jos and see his father.
Is something that we have been talking about it, but we don’t know what to do.
For over five six years, this boy ordinary to call on his father, He normally speak with his mother on phone.
There is nothing that I have not done, but God has told me that I should not be annoyed with him otherwise something will be bad.
As long as I’m seeing him on TV, news came that they gave him captain of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
No problem, I was happy but the bad thing is there, son does not bother to go and see his father.
But one or two days before the match against Iceland, he started calling me.
I don’t know weather he got mission from any prophet that if he don’t talk with your father, he might not survive very well with his career.
Even at that, he never called me directly but when he calls the mother, she will now tell me Nchekwube has called, is very unfair for my son to do that.
My people in Anambra had once planned to host him when he comes to Abuja, they did magazine but he refused to go, that was very shameful thing to me as a father.
I use to tell my family to ask their brother Michele John Obi what I have done to him.
They told me that he used to tell them that at times he will pick his phone wanting to call me but something in his mind will tell him don’t do that.
Two days before the world cup he called his mother and I prayed for him that they will do well.
Relationship with Mikel’s Children Last year, his brothers and sis- ters, asked him to bring his chil- dren home so that we can give them names, he said he will bring them home.
I made preparation to receive them but he did not come.
Ahmad Musa, Ogenyi On- azi and his other teammates usu- ally come home.
You see them cheering with their fathers and mothers
