Nigerian footballer’s father in hospital after terrifying attack by machete-wielding robbers at family home in city of Jos
Ogenyi Onazi — who once single-handedly stopped thief in Rome — reveals horror ordeal attackers took car and cash
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NIGERIAN football Ogenyi Onazi’s family were put through a horrifying ordeal as their family home was raided by four robbers armed with machetes.
While, no lives were lost, the Trabzonspor midfielder’s father was rushed to hospital to treat wounds after he was physically assaulted by the attackers.
Onazi, 23, revealed the robbers pretended to be delivery men with a letter addressed to his dad, before ambushing the man in his own home.
They took away a number of valuables, including a car and an undisclosed amount of cash — and even more worrying, left a threatening note indicating they would be returning.
Onazi, who represented Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup, said: “Those robbers came, pretending they were there to deliver a letter to my dad at about 1.40pm on Monday.
“But as soon as he collected their fake letter and asked where it was coming from, they swooped on him, tied his hands, beat him up, inflicting machete cuts on him in the process.
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“They told him this is the first in a series of attacks that they will launch on our house and that I will be their target the next time.
“Those guys took their time to take some valuable materials including car and some cash but I am thankful to God they didn’t do more than that.”
Onazi moved to Trabzonspor from Lazio — and became a popular figure in Rome when, in 2014, he chased down and caught a thief who had stolen an elderly tourist’s wallet.
He insists he abhors crime and will always try to help.
Speaking at the time, he admitted: “I don’t believe in crime, violence or things that are not right. Those are things that irritate me.
“When I see it happening close to me, I will react.”