Everton player’s brother abducted in Nigeria

THE brother of Everton football player Joseph Yobo was kidnapped on Saturday by armed men in Port Harcourt, the capital of Nigeria’s southern oil-producing region, police said yesterday.

Norum Yobo, the younger brother of the English Premier League player, was kidnapped as he returned to a hotel after a night out with friends.

Yobo was forced out of the car and taken by his abductors to an unknown location.

No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnap and there has been no contact between the family and the abductors, police said.

Everton spokesman Ian Ross said: “The thoughts of the players, management, staff, fans and everyone connected to Everton FC are with Joseph and his family at this time.

“We can only hope that Joseph’s brother is released without harm.

“Things like this put football and life in perspective.”

Joseph Yobo, a 27-year-old defender, made 39 appearances in all competitions for Everton last season, scoring one goal, as the Merseyside club finished fifth in the Premier League.

The restive Niger Delta region has seen a spate of abductions of expatriates in recent years.

But with foreign oil workers now receiving greater protection, militants and criminal gangs in the region have been turning more and more to local politicians and their families, mostly to obtain ransom payments.