The Nigerian Senate has called on the Libyan government to issue an apology for the mistreatment of Nigeria’s senior men’s football team, the Super Eagles, during their arrival for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Super Eagles squad, along with officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), were stranded for over 14 hours after their plane was diverted to a smaller airport on Sunday, October 13, en route to the AFCON qualifier in Libya.
Senator Ismaila Kawu raised the issue on Tuesday, highlighting the poor treatment by both the Libyan authorities and football federation. He urged the Nigerian Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to address the negative diplomatic repercussions of the incident.
Senator Barau Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate, condemned the treatment, calling it unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of sports, which is meant to promote unity and foster competition among nations.
Jibrin stated, “The incident is not in line with the essence of sports, which should promote unity, competition, and brotherhood. The way our players were treated is shameful and unjustifiable.”
He continued, “We do not want a diplomatic crisis, and we believe this is a mistake the Libyan authorities should correct. We urge them to apologize to Nigeria.”
Jibrin praised Senator Kawu for bringing the matter to the Senate’s attention, adding, “Nigeria is a key player in African diplomacy, and we hope Libyan leaders will acknowledge their mistake and offer an apology.”
Earlier, Senate President Akpabio, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, condemned the “shameful” actions of Libyan officials, criticizing their disregard for human dignity and international norms.
The statement read, “As President of the Senate, I stand in solidarity with the Super Eagles, the NFF, and all Nigerian football fans in denouncing this unjust treatment. The Senate will continue to monitor this situation to ensure our citizens’ rights and dignity are protected.”
Akpabio also called for a thorough investigation by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), demanding sanctions for those responsible. He added that Libyan authorities must take swift action to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He concluded, “We call on the global football community to condemn this behavior and support our quest for justice.”
