Nigerian footballer Christian Obodo abducted by gunmen (original) (raw)

Updated: 13 Sept, 2018 • • min read

Udinese midfielder Christian Obodo has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen while on vacation in his native Nigeria.


Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo spent last season on loan at Lecce in Serie APhoto: Getty Images

The 28-year-old, who last season played for Lecce, was taken by unknown gunmen on Saturday morning outside Warri, the main city in the Niger Delta which is an oil-rich area.

"The kidnappers phoned Christian's mother and asked for a ransom worth €150,000," brother-in-law Obidike Okechukwu told news agency ANSA.

"Christian was on his way to church and was alone when at around 9.20am some people came and took him away."

Delta State is widely regarded as one of the most unsafe states in the country with daily reports of incessant kidnappings, armed robberies and other crimes across the state.

This is the first time a footballer is being kidnapped in Nigeria. However, a couple of family members of some footballers' have been kidnapped in the past.

Nornu Yobo, elder brother of Everton defender Joseph, was kidnapped in 2008 and freed days later, while last year the father of Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel was also abducted before being freed after a police raid.