Mikel's father missing

John Mikel Obi’s father has gone missing in the Nigerian city of Jos.

Michael Obi, who runs an interstate transport company, did not return home from work on Friday evening and has not been seen since.

Calls to his cellphone went unanswered all of Friday, and by Saturday, the phone was no longer reachable.

Mikel was informed on Saturday morning shortly before traveling with the Chelsea squad for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Stoke.

It is not clear as yet if it is an abduction, the player's manager John Shittu told KickOffNigeria.com.

“At the moment we have not heard from Mikel's father, or anyone else, so we don't know what it is. At this point, we only consider him missing,” Shittu told KickOffNigeria.com.

Although the midfielder saw out all 90 minutes of Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Stoke, Shittu said the 24-year old is devastated.

“He us totally devastated. We were not sure whether to tell him before the game. But after speaking to the manager, and Mike Emenalo, we agreed that he had a right to be informed if such a serious incident.

“He was under a lot of stress, but he showed a lot of character and mental strength to play against Stoke.”