Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has provided clarification regarding the recent detention of the Super Eagles in Benghazi, Libya.
The clarification was necessary following a misleading report by The Libya Observer claiming that Nigeria had issued an apology over the detention of the Super Eagles, which lasted for over 16 hours from Sunday, October 13, to Monday, October 14.
In a statement released by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, it was explained that the reported apology to Libya was a misinterpretation of a phone conversation between Tuggar and Libya’s Eastern-based Foreign Minister, Abdelhadi Lahweej.
Contrary to the reported apology, Nigeria expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of its national team and urged for a swift resolution to the issue.
The statement outlined that the Government of National Unity’s CDA was summoned to the Ministry to address the unfortunate incident, but diplomatic progress was limited during the meeting with the Acting Charge of Affairs, Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, asserting that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Government in Benghazi, not Tripoli.
In response, Minister Tuggar took immediate action by contacting the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, to intervene and ensure the detention ended. Tuggar then personally engaged with the Benghazi administration, leading to de-escalation and the Super Eagles’ departure from Libya on Monday afternoon after the required licenses were issued.
Furthermore, Minister Tuggar clarified misinformation regarding the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria by Lahweej, correcting the record without issuing an apology, as the claims were deemed inaccurate.
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