Spokesman of the Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed in a statement that Pa Obi and his driver, John Ishaya, were abducted along Makurdi-Enugu road on June 29.

The statement was entitled ‘Enugu State Police Command rescue Pa Michael Obi father of Mikel Obi’.

Mikel’s father, according to the police, was on his way from Jos, Plateau State, in a grey coloured Toyota Prado sports utility vehicle, with registration number MUS 604 CG, when he was kidnapped.

The kidnappers demanded N10m as ransom from Obi’s family, according to Amaraizu.

However, at about 2:00 pm on Monday, operatives ‎of the Ninth Mile Division of the Enugu State Police Command rescued Obi and his driver in a forest in the Udi area of Enugu.

Amaraizu said the rescue followed a gun battle between the police and the kidnappers, who escaped after being overpowered by the security agents.

Narrating what happened, Amaraizu said, “The Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, through its operatives of the Ninth Mile Division, on Monday July 2, 2018, at about 2:30 pm, rescued Pa Michael Obi and his driver, one Ishaya John, unhurt in Egede Udi forest, in Enugu State along old Egede-Affa road, Enugu.

“They were rescued hale and hearty and Pa Michael Obi and the driver have rejoined their family.

“Pa Michael Obi and and his driver were abducted along Markurdi-Enugu road on June 29, 2018, in the afternoon, on his way from Jos in his grey coloured Toyota Prado vehicle with registration number MUS 604CG and taken to an unknown destination through the thick forest part of the area.

“The abductors started calling to demand a ransom of N10 million before the operatives, acting on intelligence information, swooped on them, after which a gun duel ensued which forced the hoodlums to abandon their victims inside the forest and they were promptly rescued.”‎

“In his reaction, Pa Michael Obi extolled the response and efforts of the police which led to their rescue.

“He thanked the Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Mohammed, and his operatives insisting that he is happy with the operatives’ performance.” ‎

“I am alive and healthy. I thank the commissioner of police and the police operatives on their efforts which led to our rescue,” Mikel’s father said, according to Amaraizu.