The kidnapped father of Chelsea footballer
John Obi Mikel has been released alive by his captors in the Nigerian city of Kano.
Michael Obi went missing from Jos -- the main city in Plateau State in central Nigeria -- on August 12 and had not been seen or heard of since.
Mikel was informed of the kidnap just hours before Chelsea's opening game of the English Premier League season at Stoke but decided to play.
He also played the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 2-1 victory over West Brom.
A statement released by Mikel's management company, Sport Entertainment & Media Group, confirmed the news.
"SEM are delighted to confirm, that earlier today Michael Obi called his family to advise them that he had been released by his
abductors.
"SEM have waited until now to release this
information, to ensure that Michael was safe.
"John Obi Mikel would like to thank everyone in Nigeria, his family & friends, Chelsea FC & their fans & his agents for their total support during this terrible time.
"A full statement of the situation will be released by SEM tomorrow (Tuesday) morning."
According to AFP, five men have been arrested in connection with Michael's kidnapping.
They quoted Michael explaining his abduction:
"I was taken right deep into the bush, in an isolated area in Jos (in central Nigeria). I
started begging them, yet they beat me
mercilessly, kicking me with their boots.
"There are five of them and they were dressed in military uniforms. They pushed me into a vehicle painted in military colors and began to drive very fast. I never knew a vehicle can fly like that."
Chelsea released their own statement on
Monday, that read: "All at Chelsea Football
Club are delighted that John Mikel Obi's father,
Michael, has been found safe in Nigeria.
"Mikel has shown outstanding commitment and professionalism during this most difficult of times, and the club will continue to offer its full support to him and his family."
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