Footballer Mikel Obi's father kidnapped

Mikel during the Chelsea-Stoke City match this weekend...

It has been reported that Nigerian footballer John Obi Mikel’s father has been abducted in Nigeria on Friday, August 10, 2011. The news was announced by the Chelsea FC star’s management Sport Entertainment & Media Group (SEM) via their twitter page.
‘SEM confirms, that client John Obi Mikel’s father was abducted in Nigeria on Friday 10th August. Thus far no ransom demand has been received. Mikel was informed by his manager prior to the Stoke v Chelsea match & decided to play so as not to let down his team & family.’, SEM tweeted via their @thesemgroup handle.
SEM says no ransom has been demanded and that Mikel decided to play the match so as not to ‘let his family down’. The Obi family according to the BBC have said that
they have had no contact with Obi senior but believe he is ‘safe and well’.
‘The family in Jos reported him missing at the police station as expected but we’re taking all necessary measures to find him. We’ve told him to be brave and to stay calm’, the Chelsea player’s agent John Ola Shittu said on BBC’s Focus Africa.