Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has sensationally claimed he had to bypass the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and go straight to the presidency to secure World Cup bonuses for his teammates after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel painted a dramatic picture of chaos and broken promises, alleging that the NFF failed to deliver on months-old commitments to pay the players their hard-earned bonuses. According to Mikel, the team was left in the lurch even as they prepared for the world’s biggest football stage.

“I went above the president of the NFF to get those bonuses,” Mikel declared, suggesting a total breakdown of trust and protocol within Nigerian football’s top ranks. He explained that FIFA had already provided “parachute money” to the NFF, but the funds mysteriously failed to reach the players, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability.

Mikel recounted how he was repeatedly assured by NFF officials that the money would be available in camp, only to find nothing but empty promises. “They kept telling me, ‘Oh, Mikel, don’t worry, the money will be sorted when you come to camp,’” he said, highlighting the endless runaround given to the team’s captain.

As the World Cup approached, tensions boiled over. Players, fearing they would never see their bonuses, pressured Mikel to act. “Once the World Cup is over, we don’t know if we’ll ever get it,” they warned, exposing the deep mistrust between players and the federation.

In a dramatic twist, Mikel revealed he contacted the late Abba Kyari, then chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, to intervene. The result? “24 hours later, a private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” Mikel claimed, describing a cloak-and-dagger operation more suited to a spy thriller than a football tournament.

Mikel said he personally ensured the money was handed to the team secretary, with strict instructions to keep it away from NFF officials. The next day, the bonuses were finally distributed to the players, but not before Mikel was summoned by furious NFF bosses who accused him of making them “look like idiots.”

“Are you serious? I’ve been asking you for this money for months,” Mikel reportedly fired back, casting himself as the lone hero standing up to a dysfunctional system.

Mikel insisted his actions were not about personal glory, but about justice for his teammates. “This money is owed. It is not a favour,” he said, slamming the NFF’s handling of player payments and reigniting debate about corruption and mismanagement in Nigerian football.

Despite Nigeria’s early exit from the 2018 World Cup, the team earned $16 million in prize money, but the real story, according to Mikel, was the behind-the-scenes battle for the players’ rightful earnings.

Mikel’s explosive account has set social media alight and put the NFF under renewed scrutiny. As one of Nigeria’s most decorated footballers, his claims are sure to fuel further controversy and calls for reform in the troubled world of Nigerian football administration.