By Abiola Olawale
Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has vehemently condemned what he called the poor treatment of the players and officials of Nigeria’s men’s team, the Super Eagles, in Libya.
The Minister said the recent actions of Libyan authorities were unacceptable.
He said: “Such actions by the Libyan authorities are deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. Holding our national team and officials hostage under any circumstances violates not only international sporting protocols but also the principles of respect and hospitality that should be extended to all visiting teams. The Nigerian government will not tolerate any form of disrespect or mistreatment toward our players and officials.
“We are in close contact with the appropriate authorities, and we are sparing no effort in ensuring that this situation is resolved swiftly. I urge everyone to remain calm while we engage diplomatically to address this matter.”
The Minister also emphasized that the safety and welfare of the Super Eagles and their officials remain government’s top priority.
He assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Sports Development is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant diplomatic channels, and other stakeholders to ensure the immediate and safe release of the team and their safe passage to their destination.
The New Diplomat had reported that the ugly situation happened when the chartered flight airlifting Super Eagles players was unexpectedly diverted from Benghazi to Abraq Airport.
The unexpected diversion was said to have been done despite prior agreements and approvals the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had secured.
NFF said it had arranged transportation in Benghazi, but the sudden diversion left the team stranded at Abraq Airport without buses provided by the Libyan FA.
This left the whole Super Eagles team stranded for 13 hours as they were locked up at the airport.
This development came after Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri had accused the NFF of similar poor treatment meted at them during their arrival in Nigeria for the first leg match.
However, the NFF swiftly refuted these allegations, citing last-minute changes to Libya’s arrival plans, which were communicated merely three hours before landing.
