Nigeria Denies Apology To Libya Over Super Eagles Detention Fiasco

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian government has vehemently denied issuing an apology to the Libyan government over the detention of the Super Eagles at Tripoli International Airport last month.

The clarification comes after a Libyan media outlet reported that an apology was given.

A statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the report by the Libya Observer was “erroneous” and aimed at creating “political leverage.”

The statement further explained that the Ministry summoned the Charge d’ Affaires of the Government of National Unity (GNU) to discuss the incident.

However, no significant progress was made as the GNU representative insisted that the incident was under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Government in Benghazi, not Tripoli.

Acting swiftly, the Foreign Minister contacted his counterpart in the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, seeking intervention to resolve the situation.

The aircraft was subsequently cleared for departure and granted access to aviation fuel.

While both ministers agreed to de-escalate the situation, the statement emphasised that the Nigerian Minister, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, did not apologise for the treatment of Libyan officials and players as the Libyan account of the incident was inaccurate.

The Nigerian government also rejected a proposed joint statement that misrepresented the facts of the incident.

The statement reiterates that Nigeria only maintains diplomatic relations with the GNU and not the Eastern Government.

It further expresses “displeasure and disappointment” with the treatment of Nigerian Football Federation officials in Libya and calls on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to investigate the matter and impose appropriate sanctions.

This incident has sparked tension between the two North African nations and highlights the need for both countries to address the underlying issues and uphold diplomatic protocols.