A private plane arrived with Millions of dollars – Mikel Obi reveals how Buhari settled Super Eagles’ unpaid 2018 World Cup Bonuses

Former Nigerian international footballer, John Mikel Obi has revealed how he escalated the issue of unpaid bonuses owed to Super Eagles players during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel explained that the players were owed qualification bonuses for months, despite repeated assurances from officials of the Nigeria Football Federation that payment would be made once the team arrived in camp. As anxiety grew within the squad and delays continued, he decided to take the matter further.

Mikel disclosed that he contacted Abba Kyari, who was the Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari at the time. According to him, the situation was resolved swiftly, as a private plane reportedly delivered millions of dollars in cash directly to the team’s hotel within 24 hours.

“Talking about fighting for players’ bonuses, I went above the president of the NFF to get those bonuses, which is what I did a couple of times during the World Cup,” Mikel said.

He explained that the issue began well before the tournament, with players repeatedly asking about their unpaid bonuses. Officials assured him the matter would be resolved once the team assembled.

“Leading up to the World Cup, we were owed money. We had been asking for this money for months before the tournament. They kept telling me, ‘Oh, Mikel, don’t worry, the money will be sorted when you come to camp.’ I said, ‘Okay, no problem, but make sure the money is there because the players are asking me about their bonuses,’” he recounted.

After arriving in camp, Mikel said he followed up again with the team secretary and NFF president but received the same assurances. A week passed, and the players continued to express concern, fearing they might never receive the money once the World Cup ended.

“I called him and said, ‘Mr Chief of Staff, we have a serious issue in the national team. We need this money to settle the players. This is what was promised.’ Twenty-four hours later, a private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” Mikel said.

He added that he personally handed the cash to the team secretary with strict instructions that it should not be diverted.

“I took the money and handed it to the team secretary and told him to hold it. I said, ‘Make sure this money does not go to the president or anyone else. This money belongs to the players.’”

The former Chelsea midfielder has long been praised for his leadership role with the Super Eagles, and his account highlights the behind-the-scenes challenges faced by players even at major international tournaments.