Former Super Eagles’ midfielder, Christian Ndubuisi Obodo (Bundle of Skills) has revealed details of the dramatic and miraculous manner in which he escaped from the hands of kidnappers last weekend in Warri, Delta State, megasportsarena.com reports
In what makes it the second time he would be abducted in the same v=city, where he was also once involved in a scary motor accident, the 36-year-old Obodo revealed that he had already been abducted by the hoodlums but he managed to escape when they stopped to hold secret talks among themselves.
In a statement that has been confirmed by police authorities in the oil rich coastal city, Obodo recounted how he became victim of another kidnapping incident on Sunday, some eight years after he faced a similar ordeal in the same city, and declared how happy he was to regain his freedom without any injury.
The former Perugia, Fiorentina and Udinese of Italy dazzler, who had previously been abducted by gunmen in June 2012 and rescued a day later in a police raid, narrated his latest ordeal, as he had been locked in his ca boot for several hours but he managed to escape on Monday.
He disclosed that the kidnappers took their anger out on him because of the Super Eagles’ rude implosion in a 4-4 draw with Sierra Leone during last Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Benin City, which the hoodlums said caused them to lose expected fortunes from their betting.
The once-vibrant soccer star also revealed that his captors, who had a third gunman driving in a car behind them, circled the city for several hours until he was asked to stop the vehicle he was in with the other two and they got out to talk to their accomplice, but that was when he took his chance to escape.
He told Brila FM: “It was really discomforting locked up in a hot car trunk for hours. The kidnappers were even telling me about how they lost money for placing bets on Nigeria to score in the second half. They didn’t hurt me or intimidate me but I can’t understand the reason for anyone to want to put me through this sort of thing over again.”
Obodo further disclosed to AFP: “They pushed my girlfriend out of the car. I was praying and trying to hold a conversation with them asking them what have I done, but they barked at me and told me to keep quiet and that if I make any sound I was going to be killed. I looked behind and, feeling a little space, I drove off at full speed.”
Delta State Police Command confirmed the development through their spokesperson, Onome Onovawakpoyeya, who also disclosed to The Punch newspaper that the ex-international had been spotted when he stopped by the road to buy fruit, adding: “Obodo was kidnapped at about 17:00 on Sunday around Ishaka Hotel just along Refinery Road.”
