Chelsea and Arsenal stars 'caught up in gun drama at Nigerian airport'

Escaped: The players were hurried away from the airport
AFP/Getty Images
Jamie Micklethwaite12 October 2016

Four Premier League stars reportedly escaped a shooting after an armed man claiming to be a police officer opened fire on their group in Nigeria.

The Nigerian football team, including Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, were on international duty with Nigeria on Monday morning when two men saying they were police officers reportedly confronted their party.

The men are said to have told the group they were under instructions to arrest Shehu Dikko, the Nigeria Football Federation's second vice president.

But after team officials demanded to see a warrant and identification, one of the men is alleged to have become angry and fired shots into the air.

Shots fired: Iwobi and Mikel were not harmed 
David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

A witness told the Sun: “One of the detectives pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot anyone interfering with his job.

“With tempers flaring, he repeatedly fired shots into the sky.”

Iheanacho scored in Nigeria's victory a day before the shooting 
Stu Forster/Getty Images

The team, which also included Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho and Leicester forward Ahmed Musa, were quickly scrambled into a bus outside Abuja airport, which raced away from the scene.

No-one is thought to have been injured in the incident.

The alleged shooting followed Nigeria's world cup qualifier win in Zambia, with Iwobi and Iheanacho scoring in their 2-1 victory.

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