Nigeria‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, don clear am say Nigeria no apologize to Libya over the recent detention of the Super Eagles in Benghazi. This clarification come after The Libya Observer publish false report on Tuesday say Nigeria apologize for the incident.
Tuggar describe the report as a deliberate attempt to gain political leverage and mislead football administrators and fans across Africa. According to the minister, the publication distort the details of a phone call between him and Libya’s Eastern-based Foreign Minister, Abdelhadi Lahweej.
The Nigerian government express dissatisfaction over the treatment of its national team and demand an immediate resolution to the issue. Tuggar explain say after the CDA of the Government of National Unity was summoned to the Ministry to seek an immediate end to the unfortunate incident, not much diplomatic headway was made because the issue was not under the jurisdiction of Tripoli but that of the Eastern Government in Benghazi.
This prompt Tuggar to contact the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, to intervene and ensure that the detention ended. After negotiations, the necessary permits were granted, allowing the Super Eagles to leave Libya, and the situation was de-escalated.
Tuggar also debunk false allegations by Lahweej concerning the mistreatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, correcting the record but refusing to apologize for any actions, as the claims were inaccurate. Nigeria reject the proposal to issue a joint statement because it misrepresented the facts of the incident.
The Nigerian team had flown into Libya on Sunday afternoon for the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying Group D fixture against the Mediterranean Knights, only to be subjected to inhumane treatment upon arrival. They were locked in at the airport for over 20 hours without food, water, or Internet.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is investigating the incident, and the Nigerian Senate has called on the Libyan government to apologize to Nigeria for the inhumane treatment of the Super Eagles.
