I have not spoken to Mikel in 5 years –Father

Chief Michael Obi, the father of professional footballer and Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi, has
opened up on the kind of relationship he shares with his celebrity son.

The septuagenarian who was recentled kidnapped during the just concluded FIFA World Cup in Russia said
the kingpin thought his footballer son sends him millions of naira often.

Fortunately for the family, Chief Obi and his driver were rescued by men of the Enugu State Police
Command in Egede axis of Udi Forest of the state along Old Egede Affa road in the state on July 2.

However, the family parted with N10 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

“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 N50m 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 N5m.

“We agreed on that sum, but they later refused, insisting on N50m. I finally pegged it at N10 million.”
Pa Obi, 74, said that were it not for an opportunity created by the just concluded World Cup in Russia,
it would have been five years since he last spoke to Mikel on phone.

According to him, the Super Eagles’ skipper once confided in one of his brothers that anytime he wants
to call their dad, something tells him not to do so.

“My relationship with Mikel 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’.

“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’s it.

“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.
“Sometime last year, he was to bring his twins so that I could name them, he said he would. But he
didn’t. His other colleagues frequent come home, so I don’t understand.”

Recall that Pa Obi and his driver, John Ishaya, were abducted along Makurdi-Enugu Road on June 29 on
his way from Jos in his grey-coloured Toyota Prado jeep with registration number: MUS 604 CG and taken
to an unknown destination through the thick forest part of the area.