Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has refuted claims that the country apologized to Libya following the recent detention of the Super Eagles in Benghazi.
This comes after The Libya Observer incorrectly reported that Nigeria had issued an apology for the incident.
In a statement released on Wednesday, October 16, by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, it was clarified that the erroneous report misrepresented a diplomatic phone conversation between Tuggar and Libya’s Eastern-based Foreign Minister, Abdelhadi Lahweej.
Rather than apologizing, the Nigerian government expressed its dissatisfaction with the treatment of the national football team and called for an immediate resolution.
“The truth is that the CDA of the Government of National Unity was summoned to the Ministry to demand an immediate end to the unfortunate incident,” the statement clarified.
Diplomatic efforts initially faced obstacles when Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, the Acting Charge d’Affaires of Libya in Nigeria, claimed that the incident was outside the jurisdiction of the Tripoli-based government and was under the control of the Eastern Government in Benghazi.
In response, Tuggar swiftly reached out to the Eastern administration, directly contacting Foreign Minister Lahweej to help resolve the situation. Following their discussions, the situation de-escalated, and the necessary permits for the Super Eagles’ departure from Libya were issued.
“After that, the aircraft received the required permits to fly, and aviation fuel was made available. Both Ministers agreed to de-escalate the situation immediately,” the statement added. Despite Lahweej’s attempt to raise previous issues about the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, Tuggar corrected these inaccuracies but did not offer an apology, stating the claims were unfounded.
The statement emphasized that Nigeria’s primary focus was on resolving the matter diplomatically and addressing any misinformation regarding the incident.
