The Nigerian government has summoned the Libyan Chargé d’Affaires to address the reported maltreatment of the Super Eagles at Al Abraq International Airport in Libya.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made the announcement on Monday, October 14, 2024, while speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Mr Tuggar stated that he had been in contact with both Ibrahim Gusau, the Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Libyan diplomat in Nigeria to discuss a resolution to the incident.
The Super Eagles and their staff were stranded at the airport for over 15 hours without adequate assistance, leading to accusations of “inhumane treatment” by the Libyan authorities.
The incident occurred ahead of an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, prompting diplomatic intervention and ongoing efforts to resolve the situation.
“Since last night, we’ve been on the phone with the chargé d’affaires because Libya doesn’t have an ambassador here.
“So, we’re in touch with the chargé d’affaires, and I’m heading back to the ministry now, where we have summoned the chargé d’affaires, the Libyan chargé d’affaires.
“This issue has to be resolved as quickly as possible. So, we’re on top of the situation,” Mr Tuggar said.
Daily Patriot reported that the Super Eagles aircraft was prevented from landing at Benghazi Airport, and redirected to land at AlAbraq Airport.
The Super Eagles were set to face the Libyan national team on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, following their hard-fought 1-0 victory in the first leg in Uyo.
However, upon arrival in Libya on Sunday, October 13, 2024, the team was stranded at Al Abraq International Airport for long hours without food, water, or other basic necessities.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that staff from the Nigerian mission in Libya had been instructed to represent the country in addressing the situation.
He explained that the managers of the Nigerian team decided to refuel the chartered ValueJet aircraft at Al Abraq Airport and return to Nigeria.
According to Mr Tuggar, the decision to withdraw from the match was due to the “hostile reception” provided by the Libyan Football Federation, describing the treatment of the Nigerian delegation as unacceptable.
He emphasised that the Federal Government would not allow the team to proceed under such circumstances, condemning the ill-treatment and pledging to take diplomatic action to resolve the matter.
“As you know, the Libyan team was here; they were supposed to land in Uyo, instead they landed in Port Harcourt. And now our team has gone to Libya, and somehow the plane gets diverted to a different airport.
“And unfortunately, at that airport, there is no aviation fuel, because what we have decided is they need to refuel and get out; we will not be able to allow them to continue.
“Suffice it to say that we have established contact with them. We’ve sent people from the mission to go there, representing the mission,” the Minister noted.
