Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has firmly denied claims that the country issued an apology to Libya regarding the recent detention of the Super Eagles in Benghazi. This clarification follows an inaccurate report by The Libya Observer suggesting that Nigeria had apologized 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 explained that the false report misrepresented a diplomatic phone call between Tuggar and Libya’s Eastern-based Foreign Minister, Abdelhadi Lahweej. Instead of issuing an apology, the Nigerian government expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of its national football team and called for an immediate resolution.
“The fact of the matter was that the CDA of the Government of National Unity was summoned to the Ministry to seek an immediate end to the unfortunate incident,” the statement clarified.
Diplomatic efforts initially faced challenges when Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, the Acting Charge d’Affaires of Libya in Nigeria, stated that the incident fell outside the jurisdiction of the Tripoli-based government and was under the authority of the Eastern Government in Benghazi....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
In light of this impasse, Tuggar quickly contacted the Eastern administration, reaching out to Foreign Minister Abdelhadi Lahweej for intervention. Following their discussions, the situation de-escalated, leading to the issuance of the necessary permits for the Super Eagles’ departure from Libya.
“After that, the aircraft was given the necessary permits to fly, and aviation fuel was accessed. Both Ministers agreed that the matter should be de-escalated immediately,” the statement noted. Although Lahweej attempted to revisit past grievances regarding the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, Tuggar corrected these inaccuracies without offering an apology, emphasizing that the claims were unsubstantiated.
The statement highlighted that Nigeria’s priority was to resolve the situation diplomatically while addressing any misinformation regarding the events.
