18th November, 2015
Flying Eagles coach Samson Siasia has told kidnappers of his mother in Bayelsa state that they chose a wrong target as he does not have money to give them.
Siasia who is now in Gambia with the Nigerian team, in preparation for the African Youth Championship in Senegal said: “Right now I am confused, from the story I got, three men on motorbike stormed my parents house in my village Odoni in Bayelsa State, shot sporadically into the air before taking my old mother away on a bike.
“What do they expect from me? I don’t have money, I am right now on national duty, and need all the time to concentrate on this very important national task, so I beg them to please release my mother so that I can concentrate on this task of qualifying the U-23 National Team for the men’s football event of the Rio Olympics.”
The 72 –year old Mrs Ogere Siasia, according to Samson, was abducted in the village of Odoni, Bayelsa State by three men on motorbike.
A distressed Siasia said his mother happened to be the only one at home in his village taking care of his father who is visually impaired.
He said the kidnapping has been reported to the police in Bayelsa State.
The Nigeria Football Federation has appealed passionately to kidnappers.
A downcast NFF President Amaju Pinnick said: “This is quite disturbing. We are just preparing for a crucial 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, and the U-23 boys are already in The Gambia for a pre-Cup of Nations training camp. Why this?
“All we can do is to appeal to the kidnappers to free Samson Siasia’s aged mother. Samson is on a critical national assignment presently and the last he needs is this kind of distraction.”