The Nigerian government has refuted claims that it apologized to Libya over the detention of the Super Eagles at a Libyan airport, stating that no such apology was ever issued.
This clarification came on Wednesday following a report by Libyan media, The Libya Observer, suggesting that Nigeria had expressed regret over the incident.
In an official statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, described the report as “erroneous” and a deliberate attempt to create political tension.
The statement detailed the events of the incident, explaining that when Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned the Libyan Charge d’Affaires (CDA), Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, the Libyan official insisted the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Government in Benghazi, not Tripoli, which he represented.
In response, Ambassador Tuggar reached out to the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, who intervened to resolve the situation, leading to the release of the Nigerian team. Despite Lahweej’s attempts to rehash complaints about the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, Tuggar firmly corrected the misinformation without issuing any apology.
The Nigerian government also rejected a proposed joint statement by Libya, asserting that it misrepresented the facts of the incident. Nigeria reiterated that its diplomatic relations are with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli, not the Eastern Government.
The statement underscored Nigeria’s disappointment with the treatment of its football officials in Libya and called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to investigate the matter and impose appropriate sanctions.
