Mikel’s father released

The kidnapped father of Chelsea footballer John Obi Mikel was freed yesterday after a police raid in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.

“Obi was rescued and six suspects were arrested, five men and a woman,” Kano state police commissioner Ibrahim Idris said, speaking of Michael Obi. “Obi is here with us as you can see.”

No ransom was paid, Idris said, and a suspect led police to the house where Obi was being held. Obi described his August 12 kidnapping in the city of Jos, where he runs a transport company, and said he had been beaten.

He said they sought a ransom of 10 million naira (€45,000 ) and eventually drove him to Kano, hundreds of kilometres away from Jos.

Police did not comment on whether legitimate soldiers were involved. None of the arrested suspects were members of the military.