John Obi Mikel: Chelsea Star Left Searching for Answers After Father's Abduction

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel played Sunday's season opener at Stoke City like any other match. He just went out and did his thing, and he ultimately went into the books as a participant in a 0-0 draw.

In reality, though, Sunday's contest was anything but just another game for Mikel. Just a day before, Mikel had found out from Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas and his agent that his father, Michael Obi, had disappeared in Nigeria, the family's native country.

Eventually, it was determined that Mikel's father had been abducted.

Today, the details of Mikel's father's abduction are still hazy, at best. Per a report from the Associated Press, what is known is that Michael Obi was last seen at 6 p.m. on Friday in Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria. He was working at the time, yet never returned home.

Despite the fact all signs point towards a kidnapping, which is a relatively rare occurrence in Plateau state, no ransom demands have been made yet. As such, Mikel and Plateau authorities have far more questions than they have answers.

But that didn't stop Mikel from making a televised appeal for his father to be returned safely. To do that, he went on Sky Sports News, where he appealed directly to his father's kidnappers.

''Please just let him go,'' said Mikel, via ESPNsoccernet. ''He's just an old man, he hasn't done any harm to anyone as far as I know and I don't know why he has been taken.''

In addition, Mikel also appealed to the people of Nigeria, saying:

"

Nigeria is the country I am from. I've always tried to help my country in any way I can, playing for my country or anything. This is a time where I need the country to help me. Whoever has got my dad, whoever knows where my dad is, please contact me and hopefully he can be released.

"

Because no ransom demands have been made, it is not clear whether or not Michael Obi was abducted because he is the father of a well-known footballer. But, according to the The Telegraph, Mikel is of the mind that it would be hard for the people of Jos not to associate father with son or vice versa.

“They will know who my father is and who his son is," he said.

Moreover, it's worth noting that Michael Obi's abduction comes just a couple weeks after a Forbes survey identified Mikel as the seventh highest-paid African player in Europe. He makes just under $6 million a year.

Given the circumstances, it would certainly appear that Mikel and his family have been targeted because of Mikel's profession. Unfortunately, this would not be the first time such a thing has happened in Nigeria, as the AP report noted that the younger brother of Everton defender Joseph Yobo was abducted by a group of gunmen in Port Harcourt back in 2008.

All things considered, there's really not much to be said. For the casual fan, what Mikel and his family are going through at the moment should serve as a reminder that professional athletes are, at the end of the day, human. We tend to label them as privileged, but the fact of the matter is that we are talking about an occupation that can go from being a blessing to being a curse at a moment's notice. Without warning, a dollar sign can easily become a target.

Obviously, all one can do is hope that Mikel's messages are heard. But above all, one hopes that Mikel and his father are reunited very soon, and that Michael Obi will be left unharmed.