BY Juliana Taiwo
Abuja, Nigeria
John Sh1TTu:
I have known Mikel Obi for about three and half years. A colleague of mine Dosu Joseph introduced him to me with a couple of other players. He does a lot of scouting for me here in Nigeria so he called me about three years ago and said there were some boys he wanted me to check on of which Mikel Obi was one of them.
Joseph used to be the welfare officer for the U-17s (the Golden Eaglets) so he couldn't do much. He's a friend that I have known for long. I was to manage him before he had the accident. So since then he has been my friend.
After his accident I didn't want him to leave football. So myself and other friends of ours kept on encouraging him and if you look at the condition he is now, you know he still does his best to survive, he doesn't beg from anybody, he works hard to maintain himself and family which is the role he's been playing for me as a scout in Nigeria. He was actually a FIFA licensed agent as at that time he was welfare officer for the Eaglets but he couldn't combine both scouting and advising players.
The first time he saw Mikel Obi was when the Eaglets went to play Plateau United in Jos and he was later invited to the team and from then we kept monitoring him.
They went to the Meridian Cup in Egypt later Swaziland and three or four other countries a Dosu always gave me reports about him. I was also monitoring the situation. There were five of them Emmanuel Sarki, Ezekiel Bala, Chinedu Ogbuke, John Mikel Obi, Isaac Promise and Kolawole Anuobi. There were about 10 of them initially but I always insist that boys introduced to me are not linked to any agent or have any agreement with anybody.
Dosu went to screen the boys and apart from Kolawole Anuobi and Chamberlain who had something to do with Ibru the rest were free and so I told Dosu to forget those that had agents already. So it was only five of them we were convinced did not have anything to do with anybody and we followed them up.
Along the way, Isaac Promise and Mikel Obi were invited by Man. U, which I was 100 per cent aware of. So they went to Man U for training and were there three to four weeks. I was away in Dubai then with George Weah because I was doing his contract but once in a week spoke to the boys while they were in England after which they returned to Nigeria.
After that Man U invited them again and they went and stayed for a week or so by then the U-17s were preparing for the World Cup in Finland. So enroute Finland the team went to Man U where they stays for two three days I can't remember precisely but I remember on the day of their departure to Finland I went to see them. So after the World Cup, which thought they were going to win but unfortunately they didn't, the rest of the team returned to Nigeria while Isaac Promise and Mikel Obi went back to Man U where they were for a couple of weeks.
I went to Old Trafford to see the management. I saw Alex Ferguson, Jim Ryan and Lex Crasho. We sat down had a meeting and arrived at an arrangement how we can get the boys sign for Man U. They made a lot of promises, which the boys liked. We all agreed and we were expecting them to come back with their promises because after that the boys had to leave for Nigeria. In principled we agreed on what they want to do and how they want to finance the boys.
Though while they were there Jim Ryan was pressuring these boys to sign for Alex Ferguson's son, which at that point in time they couldn't succeed because Alex Ferguson himself was being investigated. So the pressure was on and then I came in and said no it was not going to be possible. I was not a licensed agent then but I was working with another big firm, which was a FIFA licensed agent. It was a complicated situation because the boys were still under 17 and anything they sign has to be rectified by their parents. Having said that, Dosu actually signed them under our company initially but he didn't get it rectified before the Meridian Cup. So we were working on the basis of trust and told ourselves let's just do what we have to do for them and that was what we based the whole thing on.
I do that a lot, seven years ago I was one of those that did Kanu's movement to Arsenal and everything was done on the basis of trust. And I thought you have to believe in your own people because I believe my word should be bond. But I'm learning fast now that is so unfortunate that the people I call my own people sometime you cannot trust them. Everything doesn't have to be until you put something in writing and sign the dotted lines but sometimes you have got to give the benefit of the doubt but is so unfortunate that you can't trust some of the people.
So after about two months of waiting for Man U to live to their promise the boys became impatient in Nigeria and kept calling me and I was calling Man U but they were not forthcoming with anything. They were two other boys Emmanuel Sarki and Ezekiel Bala that I sent to Chelsea while Isaac Promise and Mikel Obi were sent to Man U. So there was a lot of pressure on me that if Man U is not coming up with anything because all my boys were wanted by so many clubs including top clubs in Spain and Italy but I thought it would be good for them to be in England because of language barrier and so on. So I now spoke to Chelsea and told them 'look this is the situation do you want to have these boys?' The Assistant Manager then Gwen Williams whom I brought to Nigeria last year said ok we will love to have them. And we spoke to the boys Mikel Obi was willing but Isaac Promise was reluctant so I said is up to you if you want to wait for Man U is your decision which is why till today he is not associated with any club yet.
So it became four of them and they were being taken care of well. And towards the end of 2003 they came back home on holidays but Chelsea knew they were coming back so they were paid some allowances just to keep them going because they cannot sign anything because they were still under aged.
And from there we were thinking of were to move them to. We wanted to move them back to Europe to go to school and play football. We looked at the option of South Africa because we thought it would be like what they would experience in European under 17 to 18 teams where can move from one country to another within Europe, FIFA rules allows that. So we thought of the same thing for Africa. While we were going that we were still processing visas for any of the European countries, which was Belgium and Norway. And we procured South African visas, where we wanted them to join Ajax Cape Town. So they went to South Africa for eight months they were schooled and trained with the first team. While there, we continued trying to get the visas for Belgium or Norway. There was a school in Norway, which was said to be the best academy in Europe and the visa came out first so we decided to send them to the school in Norway called NTG. It is an academy affiliated to a club called FC Lyn.
The arrangement was that we pay all the school fees and their allowances and in future we will be able to move them to any club in Europe, either Chelsea, Man U, Barcelona etc. We did all the funding and that is how the whole thing went.
We have a partner who brought this school to our notice - Profile Sports Chief Executive is Runo Hawk. I did not know anything about Hawk before but my company in England knows a lot about him. Profile Sports has nothing to do with me, John ****tu. He made the arrangement with the school and FC Lyn so it was on the basis of that agreement that we sent the boys to Norway. We came up with all the funding. Everything was explained to us that the boys could play football part time and go to school while still 17, which is what they were doing.
Things started changing when one of them turned 18 and the first to turn 18 was Chinedu so we realised that the Sports Director, Morgan Anderson was becoming a nuisance. He started putting pressure on the boys to sign a contract without my knowledge. When they went on a training tour in Malaga, he prepared a contract and gave them to sign, and told them 'oh no don't worry about your agent we have agreed on everything' and which I didn't know anything about it.
Before I took these boys out of Nigeria I had letters from their parents asking me to take care of them which the club was aware of and Morgan Anderson had copies of all these letters but for one reason or the other he disregarded those letters. So he went on like that and I had to speak to him about it. He said no that he was having some problem with Sports Profile but I said I brought the boys here and everything you wanted I have always provided and you have always talked to me so why now?
So he apologized that he made some mistakes and we sorted it out and we left it at that. I didn't know he had other plans. Mikel Obi was 18 on April 22 and I was there on April 23 to celebrate with him and other guys and also watch his first match on April 24. After that I came to Nigeria and I was here when my Secretary in my London office called me on my mobile phone that he has just received a fax. I was with Dosu that day we were on our way to Abeokuta to see the U-20 they were in camp in Otta but we made a mistake and went to Abeokuta.
He had the fax to me that Mikel Obi doesn't need my services as his agent anybody. That was on April 29 after noon and I told my secretary to forget it that is not Mikel because we have been together two and half years and I know he would never do such a thing. We just left it at that and by 8 p.m. in the evening a friend called me and said congratulations Mikel Obi just signed for Man U, and I was like what are you talking about and he said 'oh are you not the one that did the deal?'
I said please forget it Mikel is not going to Man U and he said I should check the teletext and I saw it, Mikel has just signed for Man U.
First thing I did was call his number he didn't respond so I called the other boy (Bala) and he said 'bros we do not know what is going on o!' and I said 'what do you mean where is Mikel?'
He said Mikel was not there and that they had a training session that day and the trainer took him away after the training. Normally the boys do everything together but that day the trainer just said you are not going with them Morgan Anderson wants you in his office now and they were just watching the TV and saw Mikel holding a Man U shirt so it was another guy from the team that called them.
He said they have been trying to speak to Mikel as well but we couldn't get him. But I was still convince something was wrong somewhere. I kept calling him but he didn't respond so I left it until the next day and then call him at about 6 a.m., which was 7 a.m. there, and he picked and he said 'bros I am sorry it was these people.'
He was like crying on the phone, sounding very apologetic and I said 'who are these people?'
He said it was Morgan Anderson. He was put in a room and was told that a day before Man U had contacted him that they wanted Mikel to sign for them and the contract papers have been fax to him (Morgan Anderson). He said he needed to speak to his agent but was refused. He said needed to study the contract for a week, he was refused. He was told he could not speak to his agent or his family and was told to just sign the deal.
He said he was forced to sign so I told him that I will handle everything he should just continue with what he was doing since he had a match in a few days time.
I then called Morgan Anderson and he just kept saying 'oh John I do not have problem with you just come down we will have a deal.'
I was like what are you talking about but he just was not listening and kept saying just come down we will have a deal. So I had to call Mikel back and I told him he should remain calm that I will take care of everything and would meet him in Norway. I left Nigeria four days later though I did talk to him daily until I left. First thing I did was I flew to London and met with my Chief Executive who is also my partner then we decided to go to Norway together the next day.
So we went straight to the boys' house because whenever I am in Norway I stay with them not in a hotel not because I cannot afford it, it is just that I love being with them. They have a nice apartment about 3 - 4 bedroom but we all sleep on the floor in the living room. When we got there two of the boys were out for training while Emmanuel Sarki was away in Chelsea recuperating after his injury. So it was only Mikel Obi that was home because he had two days off having played a match two days back. So within 15 minutes that we arrived in the house his phone kept ringing when he picked it was a guy from the club saying who is there with you? You know they are not supposed to be there.
Me John ****tu that brought the boys to Norway and I got the house and paid the rents and now I can't be in the house? I was mad but my Chief Executive said I should not react in that manner. Mikel was saying this is my agent how come he cannot be here? The guy on the phone said he was going to call the police so I said they should let him call the police because we did not do anything wrong. Again my Chief Executive calmed me down and the whole thing died that day.
The next day we went about our normal activities but Ezekiel Bala was playing a cup game and so we had to go and drop him at home early to prepare and called one of their goalkeepers to come and take us to watch the game and support Bala as well.
Before the game, we want to see Morgan Anderson between 12 noon and 1 pm and he saw Mikel Obi by himself and tried again to put pressure on him not to change his about the contract but Mikel Obi told him he had said earlier he was not interested in the Man. U contract without his agent being there.
Then Anderson said 'look you have signed the contract and that is final and there's nothing about it.'
I then had a meeting with him after which I told him not to put pressure on the boy if there is anything he wants he should let me know and I will handle it and he agreed.
So on our way to the game he now called Mikel that he wants to see him by 4 pm but that he should not tell John because he did not want him there. So Mikel refused to honour the invitation and that was how the whole kidnapping saga started.
We were in the car when he called Mikel's phone but he refused to answer because he did not want to speak to Morgan Anderson and he then called Chinedu who was with us also and asked to speak to Mikel but he told him he did not know where Mikel was and he then asked if John was there and Chinedu said yes and he then told him to handover the phone to me.
Morgan Anderson now asked 'John didn't Mikel tell you we were having a meeting at 4 pm?'
I said 'but I was with you earlier you never mentioned it and why did you have to tell Mikel about the meeting when you had my number with which you could have used to call me directly?'
He then asked if I was going to the game that he wanted to send a car to pick me. I said I was not sure and if I was going I'll find my way.
We went to the game and we were about 100 meters to the stadium when two guys came to Mikel Obi and said 'where have you been?'
And Chinedu asked 'what is wrong with these guys?'
Another guy from the club joined them and said 'Mikel, Morgan Anderson wants you in the office right now!'
And Mikel said he was not going to see Morgan Anderson 'I'm here to watch the game.'
But the guys said 'you are not watching the game you are coming with me to see Morgan Anderson right now!'
Then I stepped in and said we are here to watch the game so if he doesn't want to go to see Morgan Anderson he doesn't want to go. The next thing he said was 'oh no you shut your mouth or I will call the police.'
Suddenly people were coming towards the scene and the press guys too and then it occurred to us that Morgan Anderson must have gone to the Internet to say Mikel Obi was missing.
So that was how the guy became 'Beckham' over night because the press, everybody was on him. So we left there and walked away and all sorts of camera were on us.
He became uncomfortable and they followed us to where we sat and we decided to leave the venue for home. But the guy that brought us was no longer willing to take us back after a few kilometres he asked us to drop because of the police.
This same keeper Morgan Anderson did similar thing to him when a couple of clubs in England wanted to him but Morgan Anderson wanted him to play for A.C Milan but he refused believing he would not have a future there.
So Anderson refused to pay his wages for two months then he was dropped from the first team and it went on for three months but he stood his ground and in the end the team was not doing well he was brought back to the team. So because of his experience he didn't want to get involved in Mikel's case because he knew what Morgan Anderson could do.
That was how we arrived in the bush, the frontline of the whole world today. We were not running away from anybody. We went back to the game through the back gate when the press saw us again and came with their cameras and all and he became uncomfortable and he was holding his head and covering his face that was the picture the sent around the world. He couldn't handle it and we decided to go home and luckily we got a cab. We couldn't go home because Mikel was scared even when I assured him that he did nothing wrong so we could go home he refused. So we decided to go to a restaurant to eat and we where there when Bala called after he finished his game.
He had to keep changing taxis and direction to avoid being followed to get to us. But he still refused to go home and said he needed somewhere to clear his head and ask me to take him away from the place. So I said if that is what you want is ok by me.
So that was how the kidnap and abduction saga started.
We got home very early in the morning and departed about 5 am for the airport to catch a flight to London. When we got to the airport because Mikel was still scared we didn't see anybody though I was not expecting anybody but we saw all the Norwegian papers saying Mikel has been kidnapped and Morgan Anderson was quoted as saying that he was kidnapped by one John ****tu working for Chelsea. He said he had Mikel's passport while I used another passport to get Mikel out of Norway and this was a lie but I was neither worried nor bothered.
This is me that have always done things with him but now I was no longer Mikel's agent but one John ****tu. So we left for England and the boy was happy to be away and slept and relaxed. We didn't meet anybody about any contract he was looking forward to joining the U-20 in camp because Man. U had the letter of invitation already.
This was a contract that signed his image rights away to Man U., FC Lyn and if nothing was said about it I think is something that should worry everybody. Mikel Obi didn't know anything about the contract even before hand. The first time he spoke to me he said 'bros you brought me here and now these people are messing my career up.'
And when I spoke to the dad as well he said 'look, I gave you my son and anything that happens to him you are suppose to know.'
What is really wrong is it that you are not happy that you were not contacted or Mikel does not want to continue?
If the contract is what the Mikel wants no problem but he would not be forced to sign a contract under duress or that he doesn't need an agent to sign his first contract for a boy that has just turned 18. Morgan Anderson as Director of Sports for FC Lyn that wants to become Mikel's adviser for his first contract.
You are in touch with Mikel how is he?
He is doing well. I left him in Paris with his teammates. All the Norwegian people are waiting for us there. He is a lovely boy and he is happy to be with his teammate again. I am returning to join him soon.
_________________
Abuja, Nigeria
John Sh1TTu:
I have known Mikel Obi for about three and half years. A colleague of mine Dosu Joseph introduced him to me with a couple of other players. He does a lot of scouting for me here in Nigeria so he called me about three years ago and said there were some boys he wanted me to check on of which Mikel Obi was one of them.
Joseph used to be the welfare officer for the U-17s (the Golden Eaglets) so he couldn't do much. He's a friend that I have known for long. I was to manage him before he had the accident. So since then he has been my friend.
After his accident I didn't want him to leave football. So myself and other friends of ours kept on encouraging him and if you look at the condition he is now, you know he still does his best to survive, he doesn't beg from anybody, he works hard to maintain himself and family which is the role he's been playing for me as a scout in Nigeria. He was actually a FIFA licensed agent as at that time he was welfare officer for the Eaglets but he couldn't combine both scouting and advising players.
The first time he saw Mikel Obi was when the Eaglets went to play Plateau United in Jos and he was later invited to the team and from then we kept monitoring him.
They went to the Meridian Cup in Egypt later Swaziland and three or four other countries a Dosu always gave me reports about him. I was also monitoring the situation. There were five of them Emmanuel Sarki, Ezekiel Bala, Chinedu Ogbuke, John Mikel Obi, Isaac Promise and Kolawole Anuobi. There were about 10 of them initially but I always insist that boys introduced to me are not linked to any agent or have any agreement with anybody.
Dosu went to screen the boys and apart from Kolawole Anuobi and Chamberlain who had something to do with Ibru the rest were free and so I told Dosu to forget those that had agents already. So it was only five of them we were convinced did not have anything to do with anybody and we followed them up.
Along the way, Isaac Promise and Mikel Obi were invited by Man. U, which I was 100 per cent aware of. So they went to Man U for training and were there three to four weeks. I was away in Dubai then with George Weah because I was doing his contract but once in a week spoke to the boys while they were in England after which they returned to Nigeria.
After that Man U invited them again and they went and stayed for a week or so by then the U-17s were preparing for the World Cup in Finland. So enroute Finland the team went to Man U where they stays for two three days I can't remember precisely but I remember on the day of their departure to Finland I went to see them. So after the World Cup, which thought they were going to win but unfortunately they didn't, the rest of the team returned to Nigeria while Isaac Promise and Mikel Obi went back to Man U where they were for a couple of weeks.
I went to Old Trafford to see the management. I saw Alex Ferguson, Jim Ryan and Lex Crasho. We sat down had a meeting and arrived at an arrangement how we can get the boys sign for Man U. They made a lot of promises, which the boys liked. We all agreed and we were expecting them to come back with their promises because after that the boys had to leave for Nigeria. In principled we agreed on what they want to do and how they want to finance the boys.
Though while they were there Jim Ryan was pressuring these boys to sign for Alex Ferguson's son, which at that point in time they couldn't succeed because Alex Ferguson himself was being investigated. So the pressure was on and then I came in and said no it was not going to be possible. I was not a licensed agent then but I was working with another big firm, which was a FIFA licensed agent. It was a complicated situation because the boys were still under 17 and anything they sign has to be rectified by their parents. Having said that, Dosu actually signed them under our company initially but he didn't get it rectified before the Meridian Cup. So we were working on the basis of trust and told ourselves let's just do what we have to do for them and that was what we based the whole thing on.
I do that a lot, seven years ago I was one of those that did Kanu's movement to Arsenal and everything was done on the basis of trust. And I thought you have to believe in your own people because I believe my word should be bond. But I'm learning fast now that is so unfortunate that the people I call my own people sometime you cannot trust them. Everything doesn't have to be until you put something in writing and sign the dotted lines but sometimes you have got to give the benefit of the doubt but is so unfortunate that you can't trust some of the people.
So after about two months of waiting for Man U to live to their promise the boys became impatient in Nigeria and kept calling me and I was calling Man U but they were not forthcoming with anything. They were two other boys Emmanuel Sarki and Ezekiel Bala that I sent to Chelsea while Isaac Promise and Mikel Obi were sent to Man U. So there was a lot of pressure on me that if Man U is not coming up with anything because all my boys were wanted by so many clubs including top clubs in Spain and Italy but I thought it would be good for them to be in England because of language barrier and so on. So I now spoke to Chelsea and told them 'look this is the situation do you want to have these boys?' The Assistant Manager then Gwen Williams whom I brought to Nigeria last year said ok we will love to have them. And we spoke to the boys Mikel Obi was willing but Isaac Promise was reluctant so I said is up to you if you want to wait for Man U is your decision which is why till today he is not associated with any club yet.
So it became four of them and they were being taken care of well. And towards the end of 2003 they came back home on holidays but Chelsea knew they were coming back so they were paid some allowances just to keep them going because they cannot sign anything because they were still under aged.
And from there we were thinking of were to move them to. We wanted to move them back to Europe to go to school and play football. We looked at the option of South Africa because we thought it would be like what they would experience in European under 17 to 18 teams where can move from one country to another within Europe, FIFA rules allows that. So we thought of the same thing for Africa. While we were going that we were still processing visas for any of the European countries, which was Belgium and Norway. And we procured South African visas, where we wanted them to join Ajax Cape Town. So they went to South Africa for eight months they were schooled and trained with the first team. While there, we continued trying to get the visas for Belgium or Norway. There was a school in Norway, which was said to be the best academy in Europe and the visa came out first so we decided to send them to the school in Norway called NTG. It is an academy affiliated to a club called FC Lyn.
The arrangement was that we pay all the school fees and their allowances and in future we will be able to move them to any club in Europe, either Chelsea, Man U, Barcelona etc. We did all the funding and that is how the whole thing went.
We have a partner who brought this school to our notice - Profile Sports Chief Executive is Runo Hawk. I did not know anything about Hawk before but my company in England knows a lot about him. Profile Sports has nothing to do with me, John ****tu. He made the arrangement with the school and FC Lyn so it was on the basis of that agreement that we sent the boys to Norway. We came up with all the funding. Everything was explained to us that the boys could play football part time and go to school while still 17, which is what they were doing.
Things started changing when one of them turned 18 and the first to turn 18 was Chinedu so we realised that the Sports Director, Morgan Anderson was becoming a nuisance. He started putting pressure on the boys to sign a contract without my knowledge. When they went on a training tour in Malaga, he prepared a contract and gave them to sign, and told them 'oh no don't worry about your agent we have agreed on everything' and which I didn't know anything about it.
Before I took these boys out of Nigeria I had letters from their parents asking me to take care of them which the club was aware of and Morgan Anderson had copies of all these letters but for one reason or the other he disregarded those letters. So he went on like that and I had to speak to him about it. He said no that he was having some problem with Sports Profile but I said I brought the boys here and everything you wanted I have always provided and you have always talked to me so why now?
So he apologized that he made some mistakes and we sorted it out and we left it at that. I didn't know he had other plans. Mikel Obi was 18 on April 22 and I was there on April 23 to celebrate with him and other guys and also watch his first match on April 24. After that I came to Nigeria and I was here when my Secretary in my London office called me on my mobile phone that he has just received a fax. I was with Dosu that day we were on our way to Abeokuta to see the U-20 they were in camp in Otta but we made a mistake and went to Abeokuta.
He had the fax to me that Mikel Obi doesn't need my services as his agent anybody. That was on April 29 after noon and I told my secretary to forget it that is not Mikel because we have been together two and half years and I know he would never do such a thing. We just left it at that and by 8 p.m. in the evening a friend called me and said congratulations Mikel Obi just signed for Man U, and I was like what are you talking about and he said 'oh are you not the one that did the deal?'
I said please forget it Mikel is not going to Man U and he said I should check the teletext and I saw it, Mikel has just signed for Man U.
First thing I did was call his number he didn't respond so I called the other boy (Bala) and he said 'bros we do not know what is going on o!' and I said 'what do you mean where is Mikel?'
He said Mikel was not there and that they had a training session that day and the trainer took him away after the training. Normally the boys do everything together but that day the trainer just said you are not going with them Morgan Anderson wants you in his office now and they were just watching the TV and saw Mikel holding a Man U shirt so it was another guy from the team that called them.
He said they have been trying to speak to Mikel as well but we couldn't get him. But I was still convince something was wrong somewhere. I kept calling him but he didn't respond so I left it until the next day and then call him at about 6 a.m., which was 7 a.m. there, and he picked and he said 'bros I am sorry it was these people.'
He was like crying on the phone, sounding very apologetic and I said 'who are these people?'
He said it was Morgan Anderson. He was put in a room and was told that a day before Man U had contacted him that they wanted Mikel to sign for them and the contract papers have been fax to him (Morgan Anderson). He said he needed to speak to his agent but was refused. He said needed to study the contract for a week, he was refused. He was told he could not speak to his agent or his family and was told to just sign the deal.
He said he was forced to sign so I told him that I will handle everything he should just continue with what he was doing since he had a match in a few days time.
I then called Morgan Anderson and he just kept saying 'oh John I do not have problem with you just come down we will have a deal.'
I was like what are you talking about but he just was not listening and kept saying just come down we will have a deal. So I had to call Mikel back and I told him he should remain calm that I will take care of everything and would meet him in Norway. I left Nigeria four days later though I did talk to him daily until I left. First thing I did was I flew to London and met with my Chief Executive who is also my partner then we decided to go to Norway together the next day.
So we went straight to the boys' house because whenever I am in Norway I stay with them not in a hotel not because I cannot afford it, it is just that I love being with them. They have a nice apartment about 3 - 4 bedroom but we all sleep on the floor in the living room. When we got there two of the boys were out for training while Emmanuel Sarki was away in Chelsea recuperating after his injury. So it was only Mikel Obi that was home because he had two days off having played a match two days back. So within 15 minutes that we arrived in the house his phone kept ringing when he picked it was a guy from the club saying who is there with you? You know they are not supposed to be there.
Me John ****tu that brought the boys to Norway and I got the house and paid the rents and now I can't be in the house? I was mad but my Chief Executive said I should not react in that manner. Mikel was saying this is my agent how come he cannot be here? The guy on the phone said he was going to call the police so I said they should let him call the police because we did not do anything wrong. Again my Chief Executive calmed me down and the whole thing died that day.
The next day we went about our normal activities but Ezekiel Bala was playing a cup game and so we had to go and drop him at home early to prepare and called one of their goalkeepers to come and take us to watch the game and support Bala as well.
Before the game, we want to see Morgan Anderson between 12 noon and 1 pm and he saw Mikel Obi by himself and tried again to put pressure on him not to change his about the contract but Mikel Obi told him he had said earlier he was not interested in the Man. U contract without his agent being there.
Then Anderson said 'look you have signed the contract and that is final and there's nothing about it.'
I then had a meeting with him after which I told him not to put pressure on the boy if there is anything he wants he should let me know and I will handle it and he agreed.
So on our way to the game he now called Mikel that he wants to see him by 4 pm but that he should not tell John because he did not want him there. So Mikel refused to honour the invitation and that was how the whole kidnapping saga started.
We were in the car when he called Mikel's phone but he refused to answer because he did not want to speak to Morgan Anderson and he then called Chinedu who was with us also and asked to speak to Mikel but he told him he did not know where Mikel was and he then asked if John was there and Chinedu said yes and he then told him to handover the phone to me.
Morgan Anderson now asked 'John didn't Mikel tell you we were having a meeting at 4 pm?'
I said 'but I was with you earlier you never mentioned it and why did you have to tell Mikel about the meeting when you had my number with which you could have used to call me directly?'
He then asked if I was going to the game that he wanted to send a car to pick me. I said I was not sure and if I was going I'll find my way.
We went to the game and we were about 100 meters to the stadium when two guys came to Mikel Obi and said 'where have you been?'
And Chinedu asked 'what is wrong with these guys?'
Another guy from the club joined them and said 'Mikel, Morgan Anderson wants you in the office right now!'
And Mikel said he was not going to see Morgan Anderson 'I'm here to watch the game.'
But the guys said 'you are not watching the game you are coming with me to see Morgan Anderson right now!'
Then I stepped in and said we are here to watch the game so if he doesn't want to go to see Morgan Anderson he doesn't want to go. The next thing he said was 'oh no you shut your mouth or I will call the police.'
Suddenly people were coming towards the scene and the press guys too and then it occurred to us that Morgan Anderson must have gone to the Internet to say Mikel Obi was missing.
So that was how the guy became 'Beckham' over night because the press, everybody was on him. So we left there and walked away and all sorts of camera were on us.
He became uncomfortable and they followed us to where we sat and we decided to leave the venue for home. But the guy that brought us was no longer willing to take us back after a few kilometres he asked us to drop because of the police.
This same keeper Morgan Anderson did similar thing to him when a couple of clubs in England wanted to him but Morgan Anderson wanted him to play for A.C Milan but he refused believing he would not have a future there.
So Anderson refused to pay his wages for two months then he was dropped from the first team and it went on for three months but he stood his ground and in the end the team was not doing well he was brought back to the team. So because of his experience he didn't want to get involved in Mikel's case because he knew what Morgan Anderson could do.
That was how we arrived in the bush, the frontline of the whole world today. We were not running away from anybody. We went back to the game through the back gate when the press saw us again and came with their cameras and all and he became uncomfortable and he was holding his head and covering his face that was the picture the sent around the world. He couldn't handle it and we decided to go home and luckily we got a cab. We couldn't go home because Mikel was scared even when I assured him that he did nothing wrong so we could go home he refused. So we decided to go to a restaurant to eat and we where there when Bala called after he finished his game.
He had to keep changing taxis and direction to avoid being followed to get to us. But he still refused to go home and said he needed somewhere to clear his head and ask me to take him away from the place. So I said if that is what you want is ok by me.
So that was how the kidnap and abduction saga started.
We got home very early in the morning and departed about 5 am for the airport to catch a flight to London. When we got to the airport because Mikel was still scared we didn't see anybody though I was not expecting anybody but we saw all the Norwegian papers saying Mikel has been kidnapped and Morgan Anderson was quoted as saying that he was kidnapped by one John ****tu working for Chelsea. He said he had Mikel's passport while I used another passport to get Mikel out of Norway and this was a lie but I was neither worried nor bothered.
This is me that have always done things with him but now I was no longer Mikel's agent but one John ****tu. So we left for England and the boy was happy to be away and slept and relaxed. We didn't meet anybody about any contract he was looking forward to joining the U-20 in camp because Man. U had the letter of invitation already.
This was a contract that signed his image rights away to Man U., FC Lyn and if nothing was said about it I think is something that should worry everybody. Mikel Obi didn't know anything about the contract even before hand. The first time he spoke to me he said 'bros you brought me here and now these people are messing my career up.'
And when I spoke to the dad as well he said 'look, I gave you my son and anything that happens to him you are suppose to know.'
What is really wrong is it that you are not happy that you were not contacted or Mikel does not want to continue?
If the contract is what the Mikel wants no problem but he would not be forced to sign a contract under duress or that he doesn't need an agent to sign his first contract for a boy that has just turned 18. Morgan Anderson as Director of Sports for FC Lyn that wants to become Mikel's adviser for his first contract.
You are in touch with Mikel how is he?
He is doing well. I left him in Paris with his teammates. All the Norwegian people are waiting for us there. He is a lovely boy and he is happy to be with his teammate again. I am returning to join him soon.
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。彼は彼が彼の代理店に話す必要があったが、断られたことを言った。1 週間契約を調査すると彼は必要彼断られた言った。彼が彼の代理人か彼の家族に話すことができなかったし、ちょうど取り引きに署名するように言われたことを彼に言われた。彼は私がすべてを彼扱うように彼が署名させる従って私が彼に言ったことを言った彼が少数の日の時間にマッチを有したので続ける彼がしていたものをからちょうどべきである。私はそれからモーガンアンダーソンを呼び、彼はちょうど' 私があなたとの問題を私達来てどうしてももらわないオハイオ州ジョン取り引きが。' にあることを言い続けた私は彼がどうしてもあるが、ちょうど来られて続けられて私達を言いに取り引きが聞かなかったし、か述べているあるもののようだった。そう私はMikel の背部を呼ばなければなり、私がすべてを大事にし、ノルウェーの彼に会うこと彼が穏やかに残るべきであることを彼に言った。私は私がI までの彼に残毎日話したけれどもナイジェリアに4 日後で残した。私が最初事はロンドンに私飛び、私達が翌日ノルウェーに一緒に行くことにした私のパートナーまたの私の行政長官と会っただった。そう私達は男の子の家に私が私はそれらとあることを愛することない私がそれをできることができないので私がホテルのそれらとないとどまるノルウェーにいる時はいつでもそれが公正であるのでまっすぐに行った。彼らに3 - 4 寝室私達についての素晴らしいアパートが反響室の床のすべての睡眠ある。私達がそこに着いたときに男の子の2 つは訓練のためにEmmanuel Sarki が彼の傷害の後で回復するChelsea で離れている間、あった。そう彼が2 日することマッチを2 休日を過したので家ののは唯一にMikel Obi だった。私達が家で着いたことそう15 分以内に彼の電話は彼がそれをだったあなたとそこにあるクラブ格言からの人選んだときに鳴り続けたか。彼らがそこにあるために仮定されないことを知っている。私はノルウェーに男の子を及び私家を得、賃貸料を支払い、連れて来た今私は家にいることができないジョンの**** のtu か。私は気違いだったが、私がその方法で反応するべきでないことを私の行政長官は言った。Mikel はどうして彼がここにいることができないかこれが私の代理店であることを言っていたか。電話の人は彼が警察を呼ぼうとしていた従って私が言ったことを言った私達が何も間違ってしなかったので彼が警察を呼ぶことを許可するべきであることを。再度私の行政長官は私を静め、何もかも全部によってはその日が死んだ。翌日私達は私達の正常な活動歩き回ったが、Ezekiel Bala はコップのゲームをして、従ってゲームを見、またBala を支えるために私達も準備するために及び私達を取ることを来る彼らのゴールキーパーの呼ばれた1 杯家で彼を早く落とすことを行かなければならなかった。ゲームの前に、私達は彼がそこにいる彼の代理店のないMan. U 契約に興味がなかったことを彼が先に言ってしまったことを契約についての彼の変えないモーガンアンダーソンその間正午におよび1 pm および彼がMikel Obi を一人で見、が、彼に圧力を置くことを再度試みたMikel Obi が彼に告げたことを見たいと思う。それからアンダーソンはそれが最終的署名し、それについての何も。' がであり、ことを' 一見契約にないことを言った私はそれから彼との会合を開いたそのあとで男の子彼は彼がべきである知らせる私におよび私に圧力を置かないことはそれを扱い、彼は同意したほしいと思う何でもあれば私は彼に言った。そうゲームへの私達の方法で彼は今彼が4 pm によって彼に会いたいと思うが、こと彼は彼がそこにほしいと思わなかったので彼がジョンに言うべきでないことMikel を呼んだ。そうMikel は招待に名誉を与えることを断り、それは全誘拐の冒険談がいかに始まったかだった。私達は車に彼がモーガンアンダーソンに話したいと思わなかった彼がChinedu がそこにいる彼が私にhandover にそれから彼に電話をはい言い、ジョンは言ったらかどうかMikel があったそれから尋ねたどこに彼が知らなかったことを私達とまたあり、が、Mikel に話すことを頼んだ彼は彼に言い、Chinedu を呼んだので彼がMikel's の電話を呼んだが、彼が答えることを断ったときにあり。モーガンアンダーソン今尋ねられた' ジョンはMikel 私達が4 時に会合を開いていたか。' 言わなかった私は' 言ったが、あなたとあったあなたがか。' 私を直接呼ぶのに使用したかもしれない私の数を有したときに会合についてのMikel をなぜ言わなければならなかったか先にあなたが決してそれを述べなかったし、彼はそれから私を選ぶために彼が車を送りたいと思ったこと私がゲームに行くかどうか尋ねた。私は行ったら私が確実でなかった私私の方法を見つけることを言い。私達はゲームに行き、あっているか。' 持ちなさいところに2 人の人がMikel Obi に来、' 言ったときに競技場へ約100 メートルだったそしてChinedu はこれらの人と間違っているか。' 何が' 頼んだクラブからのもう一人の人はそれらを結合し、' Mikel 、アンダーソンはオフィスの!' を今ほしいと思うモーガン言ったそしてMikel は彼がモーガンアンダーソンが' 私。' ゲームを見ることここにいることを見ようとはしていなかったことを言ったしかし' 言われる人はモーガンアンダーソンに今あなたが私と!' 会いに来ているゲームを見ていないそれから私は歩み、言われて私達は彼が彼が行きたいと思わないモーガンアンダーソンに会うことを行きたいと思わなければゲームをそう見ることここにいる。彼が言った次の事は' 否オハイオ州締めたあなたの口をだったまたは私は呼ぶ警察を。' 突然人々は場面の方に来て、モーガンアンダーソンがMikel Obi が行方不明だったことを言うことをなること余りに出版物の人インターネットに行くにはそれから私達に起こり。出版物が、皆彼にあったので人が' Beckham ' の余分夜にいかにがなったかあったように。そう私達はそこに去り、歩き、各種各様のカメラは私達にあった。彼は不快になり、私達が坐り、家のための開催地を残すことにしたところにそれらは私達に続いた。しかし私達を連れて来た人はもはや少数のキロメートルが彼私達に警察のために落ちるように頼んだ後私達を取ることを決定していなかった。モーガンアンダーソンこの同じ看守は彼に同じような事をしイギリスの二三人のクラブが彼にときにモーガンアンダーソンが彼にほしかったが、彼が断ったAC ミラノのために遊んでほしかったが、彼をそこに過さない未来を信じる。そうアンダーソンは2 か月間彼の賃金を支払うことを断ったそれから彼が最初のチームから落ち、3 か月間継続したが、彼は彼の地面を立て、チームが彼をよくしていなかったついにチームに持って来られた。そう彼の経験のために彼はモーガンアンダーソンがことができるものを彼が知っていたするのでMikel の場合で複雑に得たいと思わなかった。それは、今日全世界のfrontline 私達が薮でいかに着いたかだった。私達は誰でもから走っていなかった。私達は背部ゲートを通ってゲームにそしてすべて及び彼不快に来、彼が彼の頭部を握って、世界中で送られた映像のだった彼の表面をなり、出版物が私達にまた会い、彼らのカメラと覆っていたときに行った。彼はそれを扱うことができなかったし、私達は家に行くことにし、運よく私達タクシーを得た。私達は彼は間違った何も従って私達をしなかったこと私が彼を保証した時でさえMikel がおびえていたので家に行くことができなかった断った家に行くことができる彼。そう私達は彼が彼のゲームを終えた後Bala が呼んだときに食べることをところでそこにレストランおよび私達に行くことにした。彼は私達に得るために続かれることを避けるようにタクシー及び方向を変え続けなければならなかった。しかし彼はまだ家に行くことを断り、彼がゆとりに彼の頭部をどこかに必要とした言い、そして私に場所ことをから彼を連れ去るように頼む。そう私はそれがであるかどうか言った私によって良いほしいと思うものが。誘拐及び外転の冒険談がいかにが始まったかあったように。私達は家に非常に朝早く帰り、約5 AM ロンドンへの飛行をつかまえる空港のため出発した。Mikel がまだおびえていたので私達が空港に着いたときに私達は彼はChelsea のために働く1 ジョンの**** のtu によって誘拐されたと言うのでノルウェーのペーパーすべてをMikel を言うことが誘拐されたモーガンアンダーソンが引用されたことを誰でもしかし私が誰でもを待っていなかったが、私達が見たことを見なかったし。彼はこれがうそ使用し、私が心配していなかったり迷惑を掛けられただったが、ノルウェーからMikel を抜き出すのに私が別のパスポートを間、彼にMikel のパスポートがあったことを言った。これは私である常に彼とのずっと事をしているが、今私はMikel の代理人しかし1 ジョンの**** のtu もはやでなく。そう私達はイギリスのために去り、男の子は離れ、眠らせ、そして緩められて幸せだった。私達はMan. U に招待の手紙が既にあったので彼によってがキャンプのU-20 の結合を楽しみにしていたあらゆる契約についての誰でもに会わなかった。これはu. に人を配置する彼のイメージの権利にFC Lyn 署名した何もそれについて私言われなかったらの皆を心配するべきである何か考える契約であり。Mikel Obi は手の前でさえも契約についての何も知らなかった。彼が私に話した時最初に彼は' bros 私にこれらの人々が私のキャリアを。' が台なしにしている現時点を持って来たことを言ったそして私がよく彼としてお父さんに言った' 一見話したときに、私は私の息子を与え、あなたによってがある彼に起こる何でも知るために仮定する。' をそれは何連絡されないか、またはMikel が続きたいと思わないこと幸せでないこと実際に間違っているあるか。 Mikel は問題がほしいと思わないが、もの契約がなら彼は監禁の下で契約に署名させるまたはそれ彼は代理人がちょうど18 を回した男の子のための彼の最初契約に署名することを必要としない。彼の最初契約のためのMikel の顧問に似合いたいと思うFC Lyn のためのスポーツのディレクターとしてモーガンアンダーソン。彼がいかにあるかMikel の接触にであるか。彼はよくしている。私は彼のteammates とパリに彼を残した。ノルウェーの人々全員は私達をそこに待っている。彼は美しい男の子であり、彼のteammate とあって幸せ再度である。彼をすぐに結合するために私は戻っている。
