John Obi Mikel, the former captain of the Super Eagles, disclosed that Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea, offered to "dispatch individuals" to rescue his father during the kidnapping incident in 2018.

In 2018, during the World Cup in Russia, the father of the former Chelsea midfielder, Pa Michael Obi, faced a harrowing incident as he was kidnapped and held at gunpoint just hours before Nigeria's crucial match against Argentina. This wasn't the first time Pa Michael Obi had been abducted; a similar incident occurred in 2011, lasting for 10 days. Mikel received the distressing news through a phone call from his family only two hours before the game.

In an interview on talkSPORT, Mikel recounted the moment: "Two hours before the game, I got a phone call from my brother saying that my dad has been kidnapped for the second time in Nigeria. The first time, I spoke to the kidnappers, paid a significant amount, and eventually, my dad was released."

The shock of the second kidnapping was magnified by the timing, as Mikel was gearing up for a crucial World Cup match. He shared, "The second time happened while I was playing for my country, and I got this phone call from my brother saying that dad has been kidnapped again for the second time. That was absolutely shocking. The first time was shocking, but the second time was even more shocking because I was about to go into one of the biggest games of my life."

Caught in a dilemma, Mikel reflected on the difficult decision he faced: "I couldn't leave the room. I couldn't tell anybody. I was alone in the room for about 30 minutes, thinking, 'What am I going to do? Shall I tell the manager? Shall I tell my teammates? Or should I make an announcement?' But we're about to go into the biggest game of our lives. We're about to play against Lionel Messi and Argentina."

Reflecting on the challenging decision, Mikel shared, "So, I thought about it. I was like, okay, you know what? I'm going to keep quiet. I called my mum and my brothers, everybody was crying on the phone. They were saying, 'No, you shouldn't go out and play because you're not going to be able to perform well.'"

Taking a moment to contemplate, he made a personal choice, stating, "I took time on my own and decided that I'm going to go out there and perform. I'm going to go out there and play. So I didn't tell anybody. I went on the pitch and I played. Sadly, we didn't win the game, and then after that, I told everybody."

In the aftermath, Mikel revealed the emotional scene in the dressing room, noting, "In the dressing room, the manager and some of the players were almost in tears. They were saying, 'You should have told us, and you shouldn't have played.'"

Drawing parallels with Liverpool winger Luis Diaz's current situation, Mikel expressed admiration for Chelsea's support during his ordeal, especially from owner Abramovich. He recalled, "Chelsea were very supportive. I remember Roman (Abramovich) saying, 'Do you want me to send people over? Because I know if I send people over, I can get your dad out.' I was like, 'How are you going to do this?' He said, 'Don't worry about that. Just let me, if you want that option, I can do it.'"

Expressing gratitude, Mikel acknowledged Liverpool's support, stating, "And I'm happy to see that Liverpool are very supportive. I must give credit to Liverpool for what they're doing."

Liverpool winger Diaz made a significant impact in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Luton, coming off the bench in the 83rd minute and scoring a dramatic equalizer deep into added time. This marked his first appearance since his father, Luis Manuel Diaz, was abducted in Barrancas on October 28. Despite missing previous wins against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, Diaz made a sensational return by heading in Harvey Elliott's cross five minutes into stoppage time at Kenilworth Road.

The group responsible for the abduction, the National Liberation Army, has sought "security guarantees" for his father's release. Reflecting on Diaz's situation, Mikel empathized, saying, "I can relate to Luis Diaz and what he's going through. This kind of situation is where you absolutely have nothing to do. You just have to wait because they will call you, demand this, and demand that. They'll threaten to harm your loved ones. I had my dad on the phone, crying and pleading for compliance because he was in danger. I managed to pay a significant sum to secure my dad's release."