Daily Trust: You recently regained your freedom from kidnappers. Can you share your experience?
Chief Michael Obi: I was travelling home for a family meeting, early evening, in Enugu. I’d just reminded my driver to stop at the Ninth Mile to buy Okpa in case I fall asleep. Not quite long after a checkpoint, we heard gunshots ahead of us, so we stopped. My driver reckoned it was armed robbers, and tried to reverse the car. But another car from nowhere blocked us from behind, and the people within came and dragged us out. The kidnappers were six, well-armed and masked.
They assaulted us, and dragged us into the bush. We walked for many hours, and when I complained that I could not continue, they beat me again. Eventually, they told my driver to carry me on his back. But after a while, he also got tired and dropped me. We walked into the bush for what seemed like the whole night, until the next morning. I asked them what they wanted from me, and that was when they told me they wanted N100 million.
We communicated in Hausa, and some broken English. I told them I could not afford it, and they said they heard that my son sends me N50 million to me bi-weekly. We started to negotiate, and they threatened to kill me. I told them I only had N2 million in my bank account. When I noticed they were serious, I told them I could give them N5 million. We agreed on that sum, but they later refused, insisting on N50 million. I finally pegged it at N10 million.
Two days later, they brought out my phone to call my son Tony, and I told him what was happening, and asked him to go to my bank. But when they went there, the manager was not on seat, so my other son, Ebele, who is the goalkeeper for Heartlands of Owerri, contacted Mikel. That was how the ransom was made available.
DT: How was the exchange done?
Obi: I asked them how the money could be made available to them, and they suggested that the money be brought to Mile 9. On Friday, my sons tried to get the money, but it could only be made available on Monday, since banks didn’t operate at the weekend. When I told the kidnappers, they got mad and beat me. So, in the early hours of Monday, they brought the phone and asked me to speak with my son, in English or Hausa only. My son told me they were on their way with the money, and the kidnappers warned that if we dare involve the police they would kill me.
It was almost 12 noon when my son called to say they were at the agreed spot. God so kind, they used one of our transport buses, so they were able to cross the police checkpoint without any hitch. The kidnappers warned that if they find that the money was short, they would kill me. But after almost two hours of the ransom arriving, the kidnappers still didn’t go to collect the money. I told them not to blame me if anything happens to the money. They ignored me, and their leader brought out marijuana and shared it round, and they smoked. When they finished, four of them left, leaving two to guard us. Almost two hours later, the two asked us to get up and move, then gave my driver one of my phones.
A few minutes later, we heard gunshots. We fell to the ground, while the two ran off. As we lay there, we heard shouts saying the shooters were the police, come to rescue us. They did, and led us to the main road.
DT: What about your car, and the ransom money?
Obi: It was later that the DPO told us that my car was at the police station. My son Tony who carried the money told me they didn’t collect it at the Ninth Mile, but asked him to follow them with the money. He said they moved into the bush, where he saw more armed gang members. He gave them the money, and they examined it. They later asked him to leave, and he came back and we reunited at a relative’s filling station.
DT: How did they treat you when you were with them?
Obi: We slept on the ground, and for the five days we were with them, there was heavy rain for three. It drenched us under a tree. It was only once that they brought us Okpa and pure water. Miraculously, I was never hungry. My thoughts were on how to get home safe.
DT: How different was the experience from the one of 2011?
Obi: Those first kidnappers did not treat me as badly as these ones. Though I stayed in a bunker for 11 days during the first, they gave me food and the only time they beat me was when they captured me.
DT: Was any ransom paid then?
Obi: None was paid. It was the handwork of God
DT: Your son Mikel paid the recent ransom. What’s your relationship like?
Obi: It is an issue, but we don’t know what to do. It’s over five years now without a phone call from him to me. But he communicates with his mother. There is nothing I have not done to fix it. God has told me that I should not feel hurt. When we start to talk about it, I say, ‘Well, as long as I see him on TV, doing great, no problem’.
DT: But some people say he called you recently…
Obi: During the just-concluded World Cup, one or two days to one of their matches, we spoke. He called his mum, and she told me that Nchekwube (Mikel) was on the phone and I told him that God will see him through. I prayed for him. That’sit. When he first joined Chelsea, my people in Anambra were very happy that God has blessed their son, and when he came to Abuja, they prepared very well with the hope that he will come to our hometown. They even made some magazines. It was grand. But he didn’t come. It was a shameful thing to me, as a father. He once told his brother that sometimes he picks his phone to call me, but something tells him not to.
DT: Have you met your grandchildren, the twins, yet?
Obi: Sometime last year, he was to bring them so that I could name them, he said he would. But he didn’t. His other colleagues frequent home, so I don’t understand.
DT: Do you encourage him to invest at home?
Obi: Isn’t that why kidnappers are targeting me? Because they think the money he makes, he ships it to me to make investments.
Hmmmm......
ReplyDeleteThankGod... I can't believe a whole mikel does not call his father..
DeleteI Dont believe he gave this interview. 5 years without calling his dad???? Nooo!!!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, this is an inside job either from the brothers or driver.
ReplyDeleteAlways an inside job.
Delete13:38 My thoughts exactly. I am suspecting the brothers. Pure inside job. Mikel knows his people that's why he is staying away and limiting communication. Please Mikel run for your life let them not come and do a Wilson Oruma on you.
DeleteKidnapping is always an inside job. My mum's was her cousins. Imagine the idiots demanded for 150million. My mum was with them for 2months plus. Hers was just God on her side. Cos she is diabetic and hypertensive. They even had the guts to pour kerosene on her and light match. By the time she was rescued we just prayed for divine healing. She was on addmision for 2wks and flown abroad . Dose people are heartless.
DeleteAn inside job, no doubt.
DeleteHmmmm. Nawa
ReplyDeleteBut is this man not too old to be running upandan for business? He suppose to be at home relaxing and enjoying his old age in peace. He has other children doing well fur themselves too. What could make mikel obi have such resentment towards his dad? This is so painful i swear
ReplyDeleteThank God he is safe, thank God Mikel coughed up the ransom.
ReplyDeleteHowever, every family has their ish going on. I will not castigate the boy for not keeping contact with his Dad, cause I don't know the circumstances that led to him going ghost on his Dad, nor do I know his own part of the story. In all I wish them well, they'll make up and be okay.
As for going to Anambra, Mikel is just afraid, with all this armed robberies and kidnapping . He is a sure target. That's why they've pick his Dad twice.
My dear your safety first, your people will be okay, last last.
Castigate him without hearing his side? Judging!
DeleteIt is well sir.
ReplyDeleteHe calls his mother, meaning he has a better relationship with his Mom.
ReplyDeleteI know he funded his Dad’s transport company years ago. So this is not about not taking care of his family financially.
This is probably about what happened between them. 5years is too long man.
Or maybe Pa Mikel is trying to shift the focus of the kidnappers from himself. TBH, He has paid his dues.
@iphie your last paragraph echoed my thought. When you have rich relative act like they do t even send you. That way there is no room for expectations.
DeleteWhen a man marries an oyinbo woman. They tend to forget home especially when they marry the one's that are not nice. They turn against their family all for love
ReplyDeleteJust shut up..I’m sure you’re one of those opinionated Igbo people that become lazy because their brother has made it or their sister is married to a rich man.
DeleteBut he call his mom na. His dad probably treated his mom wrong. He was probably cheating up and down, and paid not so much heed to them. The dad could be just saying this to keep kidnappers off too...
DeleteAnon:14:25
Delete👍
VERY SAD ONE INDEED,HIS VILLAGE PEOPLE ARE AT WORK...HE NEEDS TO PRAY IS NOT ORDINARY.
ReplyDelete2018 the year of loudmouth fathers. Another man wondering why his child is not talking to him. What did you do to him? Did you mistreat him as a child? His mother? Were you a responsible man? Did you carry women up and down, spending on them instead of your family? After this interview, he definitely won't be calling you anytime soon. Learn to keep your mouth closed Papa.
ReplyDeleteFathers always be with your kids when they needed you most this is the kind of relationship I have with my father. He wasn't there for us now we are married he wanted to reap where he did not sow my mum was everything for us but unfortunately she wasn't alive to enjoy .my dad dey hear am from us but sometimes I send some moneyfor the sperm sake he donated
ReplyDeleteA father's agony.
ReplyDeleteI am the one who always writes "FAKE" on those "celebrity posts".
Most things they do is for people to see. I know what I am talking about;
FAKE LIVES.
Wait ooo but police told us that "no ransom was paid" -as usual, when Naija
police tells you "good morning" just go to bed, it is pitch dark night.
Do u know what that man probably did? A lot of african father's are useless, and for the fact that they feel it is their right to be useless is so annoying. They always want to reap where they did not sow. The man could be saying this for his own sake though.
DeleteThat's life for you. Mikel may have his reasons though.
ReplyDeleteBut Mikel try reconcile with your dad no matter the offence. The man may not have so many years left.
Honour and visit him while he is still alive. Not when he is dead you will invite the whole world to come and do grand burial.
Like my uncle that hasn't visited Nigeria since 1995. Just came home recently when my grandfather died. Withn a month he was home but hasnt seen the man since 23yrs. Though he has papers. The good part is he sends money home though.
Your uncle probably had his reasons for not coming home. You guys just stay there and make assumptions. Do u know what he was probably going through there? Why didn't u guys also make efforts to visit him?
DeleteMy dear thanks for this your response. Why must Uncle be the one to visit? Can't y'all get a visa and visit him too naa. You can't? Why not? Oh, money. Same with him. He can't visit home frequently cos of money. It costs like 4,000$ to visit Nigeria. His duty is primarily to his wives and kids, not relatives. He loves y'all to be sending money at all. Next time you see him, give him a gift of appreciation for all the money he even sends.
DeleteHere you all go thinking everyone that comments on SDK is poor and abroad is heaven.
DeleteMind you I travel yearly with my family and try reaching out to this uncle when I can. He isn't just so interested in the family since he left Nigeria in 1983 when I was born. Mind you he didn't find his way. My grandparents sponsored him to college Texas state university in US. They were civil servants who would spend their last dime in educating their kids.He came then in the 90s because he had problems. It was the first born that assisted him to get passport by using that one's passport since he is a US citizen. That was possible in the 90s before prints to get passport.
My grandmother travels to go see him few times until old age didn't allow. But my grandfather who died at 95 was obviously too old to visit plus he lives in the village.
Trust me this man had the money to visit. But he didnt.
And the money he sends is not to me mind you. It is to his parents who used their sweat to send him to college he sends it to; which he should as they are retired.
Nawa, maybe midlife crisis or something else is happening to him. Sorry for making assumptions though. Peace!
DeleteSaying it is his parents who used their sweat to send him to college like it not their responsibility. You have not done your kids any favours if u send them to school, it is your responsibility, and that child must not pay back. They will have their own kids, and also do same for them.Saying, trust me, he had the money, cos u live inside his bank account. Leave your uncle alone....He really tried sending money, and we don't think u are poor, but u have a poverty mentality.
DeleteI suppose that's one of the things that distinguishes men from animals. U don't just emerge from ur parents, go forward and never look back. U strive to show care and concern in their old age. More so, when u know they don't enjoy the luxury of a system that supports the elderly as in some other climes. A system which appears to inadvertently foster a 'laid back' attitude to human relations in some.
DeleteU can afford to be talking of poverty mentality bc u operate in a system that's got its citizens' back, not so?
DeleteI don't blame mikel who knows the kind of relationship they had when growing up .the same with hubby although he provides but never pay attention to certain things for the kids.always in the club and friends.i am doing mother father thing at the same time. He thought money is everything
ReplyDeleteYou opened eye and married a cluby yopi guy, yet expect him to be with you and the kids on a Friday night.
DeleteUna doh.
Na wa oo, thank God that he is safe. By the way where is ruthymilano, she has deactivated her IG for months now abi she and her husband don separate?
ReplyDeleteI noticed it too, Ruth that can't do without Instagram, maybe their marriage don pack up.
DeleteYou guys shouldn’t be too quick to judge.sometimes these dads be doing too much.they want to control your life,they become unappreciative and ask you for unreasonable amounts of money,when you don’t give them they say it’s cos of your wife bla bla bla and the pain that these things bring can turn a man against his father.im a typical example of this situation so pls don’t judge.maybe his dad wasn’t even active in his life before he made money..there are several factors that can cause whatever is happening between him and his dad.At least he has given his dad a business to run and make money from.
ReplyDeleteThe only people that can judge this matter are people that have Mikel and his dads phone numbers and can call them and they will pick up and talk,apart from that,just relax.
ReplyDeleteSometimes these dads be doing too much abeg.When a man starts having his family,there’s a limit to the amount of time and concentration he gives to his dad and mom etc but Nigerian dads will never understand,especially if he has a lot of money like Mikel.They want to start controlling and asking for money they can’t give if the table was turned and if the son says no one time they start blaming his wife.Nigerian dads need to know when to draw the line when their sons marry and start their own family abeg.My dad was asking me for $1000 which day and I said I need to save for it and he said ordinary $1000.Thats half of what I make in a month here o but he doesn’t understand.When I tried to explain the situation to him he started talking about how iv changed since I got married and all That crap.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, your ordinary $1000 can be added to your children's college fund. Even if I make six figures, my $1000 can never be ordinary because I think before I spend
DeleteIs it me or this man just gave a smart interview.... If u know u know.
ReplyDeleteExtremely smart interview.
DeleteI know. Smart interview. People use your heads biko.
Deletegbam!!
DeleteSmart just to stop the kidnappers for coming for third time
DeleteOver smart de worry the man....let sdk judges be there telling Mikel to forgive his dad bla bla bla
DeleteHe just d made Mikel's mother a target
DeleteHow is this SMART?
DeleteLike seriously are you guys that dumb?
First,it's obviously an inside job, so those insiders will know the true situation of things.
Secondly, if he likes, let him say he hasn't seen the boy since birth. If they come a third, fourth, fifth time, Mikel will still pay up.
I'm just a bit confused.
So that 10m was something the family could not cough out?
They had to run to the cash cow of the family?
Or is it a case of: he was kidnapped because of you, oya bring money for the ransom?
Please don't drain those living abroad oh, the only ones having an easier life there are the children of Dangote and those doing yahoo yahoo. Every one else works for their money and pays biiiiiillls.
At least he didn't abandon him totally, man has a lump some in his account and mikel sends money to run his business, and paid his ran some,apparently there's some bad blood between them, maybe he was an absentee dad who knows or an overbearing narcissistic one, since he communicates with his mum that means he has a better relationship with her, mikel should try n forgive him for whatever and still call him to resolve their issues, he's an old man
ReplyDeleteIf you believe this story, your a fool. I'm from eziaja where they are from. This family is super stingy and rich. Even the John Mikel obi street leading to your compound is bad. It was tonimas that fixed it.
ReplyDeleteNdi eziaja don't care about you, cos u don't want to help anyone
He has a good relationship with his father.
I will come back later to spill more
Make una follow tonimas naa, obi dem no owe eziaja people.
DeleteI concur. Biko come back because I read this in the voice of Okpokolo Obeledu. Will love to see more.
Delete#dysfunctionalhome
I know someone from Etitinabo who has repeated this your lines over and over again. They are selfish and the indigenes dont give a hoot.
Up Chief T Enukeme.
It’s you are not your, you fool.
DeleteAnd Papa Mikel successfully shifted the kidnappers' camera lens on Mama Mikel. I smell disinformation and conspiracy though. The kidnappers are working with an insider. Somebody who knows Dede's itinerary or Dede himself. I also hope he has not been using the same driver for 6years or more.
ReplyDeleteSomeone up there said this is 'a smart interview '. Ikwawawawawawawawa
DeleteSo much for your level of smartness.
Now the kidnappers know who to target in the family.
Something tells me this interview is to keep kidnappers away from him.
ReplyDeleteEl
Akuko, Mikel Obi Papa na guy man. He just wants this kidnappers to free him and this is the best way to do it.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can deduce from this is:
Dear kidnappers I have paid my dues, Mikel does not give me money to keep for him and even though I am his father we don't have good relationship. Please can you leave me the fuck alone and face other people. Even Mikel doesn't come home. Leave us alone. We have paid our dues.
Smart Igbo man that wants to guy kidnappers. Lol. See sense in the interview
ReplyDeletePapa Mikel might know what he is doing
ReplyDeleteMaybe they will stop kidnapping him
Smart interview
You are very smart to de code that
DeleteThe part that pained me was where he said the kidnappers beat him. Why beat an old man?
ReplyDeleteIt is well
ReplyDeleteThe man is trying to play safe here. Moreover some parents or siblings do misappropriate money given to them to carry evergreen projects. So what is the essence of such people as family. Never.!!!! Eg it happened to former super Eagles play Godfrey oboabona.He sent some millions to his eldest brother whom happen to be a lecturer at Adeyemi college of Education Ondo to erect a nice family at ondo Guy man squandered the whole money upon the whole he threats. Godfrey so we all have to hear from Mikel first. Bvs should not forget that these man drives Prado Jeep ooooo. And leaves fine on the Bill of Mikel. And Ebele drives SUV worth #10m.so Mikel has paid his dues.
ReplyDeleteBlack Berry, you also very very smart. So many people here shouting and calling Mikel names. were you guys expecting the old man to have said that he receives calls and western union transfers on daily basis so that another set of kidnappers would ambush him? Nawaoo for una shallow brain. BV Ken signs out. Well done Mikel for the money jare.
ReplyDeleteSo its to shift the kidnappers to the mother thats the wisest thing to do abi? Don't worry they may focus on the mum now.
DeleteAnd you Uncle are very very dumb.
DeleteDo you think they care how frequently he is in contact with the son? Whose business?
As long as the father has been kidapped, Mikel will pay.
It's not the kidnappers business whether the relationship is sweet or sour. That is for your family meeting. Pay up. Others are paying.
Waste of interview time. The father should have said that they couldnt contact Mikel and maybe they sold the last farm land or something like that. As long as Mikel is alive, they will continue to look for ways to get money from him.
I pray they catch and roast all those kidnappers.
Even Evans dey give im ppl self-contained accommodation and indomie. Thank God it ended well. They shd investigate all those that knew about the trip.
Delete