Christian Obodo (18), shields the ball during a game between Nigeria and Zimbabwe
By Duro Ikhazuagbe
Abducted former Super Eagles midfielder, Christian Obodo has been rescued from his kidnappers in Emevor, a town in Isoko area of Delta State.
Sources close to the Delta State Football Association confirmed to THISDAY late Sunday night that Obodo has since been brought into Warri, the oil city where he was kidnapped on Saturday by unknown gun men while on holiday from his Italian club, Udinese.
Although no official of the Delta State Football Association (DFA) could be reached to make an official statement on Obodo’s rescue, THISDAY was reliably informed that the former Super Eagles midfielder has been quartered in an undisclosed hotel in the city till when he will be formally presented to the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan by the Commissioner of Police.
Three persons were also reported to have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping. They are likely to be paraded before news men Monday.
Obodo, who plays his club football for Udinese FC in Italy, was reportedly abducted in Warri, Delta State on Saturday morning, hours before the Super Eagles’ 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifying match against Malawi in Blantyre.
The petite but lion-hearted midfielder played for Nigeria at the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt, and was in reckoning of then Coach Samson Siasia during the qualifying campaign for the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals.
The kidnappers had reportedly demanded N30 million for his release.