NIGERIA: Plateau state police say they are doing "everything humanly possible" to find the kidnapped father of Premier League footballer John Obi Mikel

Record ID: 234841

  • Title: NIGERIA: Plateau state police say they are doing "everything humanly possible" to find the kidnapped father of Premier League footballer John Obi Mikel
  • Date: 19th August 2011
  • Summary: JOS, NIGERIA (AUGUST 18, 2011) (REUTERS) VIEW OF JOS JOS STREETS, PLATEAU STATE POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER JACOB APEV APEV WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PLATEAU STATE POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, JACOB APEV SAYING "Well, the case of the missing father of Mikel Obi was actually reported on the 13th of this month. When it was reported to the police, the commissioner of police directed that the state criminal investigation department should take over the investigation of the case immediately and when the directive was given, the message was relayed to all nooks and crannies and a special team was actually raised to comb the whole area with the hope of getting to wherever he is." BROKEN POLICE CLOCK (SOUNDBITE) (English) PLATEAU STATE POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, JACOB APEV, SAYING "The commissioner of police himself is not sleeping, is not resting in his oars. The whole police are actually in search of you know, intelligence in respect of the missing father of Mikel Obi. We are on it, and we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that wherever he is, he is traced so basically that is what we are doing we are very very serious about it you know. Even today, yesterday you know we are out there trying to actually source for information and to get him wherever he is." VARIOUS OF JOHN OBI MIKEL'S FATHER'S HOUSE VIEW OF JOS
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVADUQ9CKVFHRRT6KUDLQMEAUCV1
  • Story Text: Nigerian state police in the region where Premier League football John Obi Mikel's father was kidnapped, are doing "everything humanly possible" to secure his return, a representative told Reuters on Thursday (August 18).
    Jacob Apev, press officer for Plateau state police, the force in charge of the case, said the police commissioner had immediately intervened in the case.
    "Well, the case of the missing father of Mikel Obi was actually reported on the 13th of this month. When it was reported to the police, the commissioner of police directed that the state criminal investigation department should take over the investigation of the case immediately and when the directive was given, the message was relayed to all nooks and crannies and a special team was actually raised to comb the whole area with the hope of getting to wherever he is."
    The Chelsea midfielder's management company said on Thursday that he had received a "sizeable" ransom demand for the return of his kidnapped father.
    Apev added that the police were doing everything they could to find Mikel's father.
    "The commissioner of police himself is not sleeping, is not resting in his oars. The whole police are actually in search of you know, intelligence in respect of the missing father of Mikel Obi. We are on it, and we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that wherever he is, he is traced so basically that is what we are doing we are very very serious about it you know. Even today, yesterday you know we are out there trying to actually source for information and to get him wherever he is."
    Mikel, 24, played for Chelsea in their season-opening draw at Stoke City on Sunday, 48 hours after his father was abducted, and has made himself available for Saturday's match against West Bromwich Albion.
    The Sport Entertainment & Media Group that represents Mikel said in a statement that reports in Nigeria of an 80,000 pounds (130,000 U.S. dollars) demand were inaccurate but that the sum requested was "sizeable" and that discussions had begun between the Nigeria international's family and the kidnappers.
    The full statement said: "SEM advises that reports from Nigeria of an 80,000 pounds ransom demand for the return of John Obi Mikel's father is not true. We confirm that Michael Obi has been abducted and that the kidnappers have been in touch with the family and representatives of the family and that discussions for Michael's safe release have begun.
    It added: "A sizeable demand has been made but for security reasons, we are unable to release details of the amount. "Mikel would like to thank his family, friends, Chelsea FC & his agents for their support & at this time it is Mikel's intention to play for Chelsea this weekend, encouraged by his family to do so."
    Mikel had not had contact with the kidnappers when he made an appeal for his father's safe return on Monday.
    He told Sky Sports News in an interview: "Whoever has got my dad or knows where my dad is please contact me and hopefully he will be released. Please let him go - my dad is an old man and he hasn't done any harm to anyone as far as I know and I don't know why he has been taken.
    "This happens a lot, not in the northern part of Nigeria but in the eastern part. It's a very safe place where we live in Jos, I think it's a first that my father has been taken in the northern part," the player added.
    His father's house in Jos was abandoned and the local police told Reuters they were investigating the disappearance but most of the local law enforcement were focused on dealing with an outbreak of religious unrest in the region, involving clashes between Christian and Muslim youths and the military.
    Jos lies in the central "Middle Belt" of Africa's most populous nation, where the largely Christian south meets the mostly Muslim north.
    It is not the first time a relative of a Premier League footballer has been abducted in Nigeria, with Everton defender Joseph Yobo's brother kidnapped in 2008.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register