The Federal Government has refuted a report claiming that Nigeria apologised over the recent maltreatment of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials and Super Eagles players in Libya.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, made this known in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Tuggar stressed that the report, which was published by the Libya Observer on October 15 and claimed that Nigeria had apologised over the incident, was erroneous.
The minister also expressed the federal government’s displeasure over the incident and the report.
Tuggar stated that the report deliberately aimed at gaining political leverage and causing disaffection among continental football administrators and fans.
Tuggar said the report was a blatant misinformation and misrepresentation of the telephone correspondence between him and the Foreign Minister of Libya’s Eastern Government.
He said: “Nigeria remains unequivocal in expressing its displeasure and disappointment with how the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials were treated in Libya.
“It calls on the Confederation of African Football to urgently ensure that its Disciplinary Board investigates the matter and imposes appropriate sanctions based on its statutes.”
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The minister further explained that the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) of Libya’s Government of National Unity had been summoned by the ministry to seek an immediate end to the incident.
He added that no diplomatic headway was made during the meeting with Libya’s acting Charge d’Affaires, Imad Aboud, who said the matter was not under the jurisdiction of Tripoli, which he represented.
According to him, Aboud claimed that the matter was rather under the jurisdiction of Libya’s Eastern Government in Benghazi.
Tuggar disclosed that he immediately contacted the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, for prompt intervention in order to end the debacle.
Tuggar said: “After that, the aircraft was given the necessary permits to fly, aviation fuel was accessed, and both ministers agreed that the matter should be de-escalated immediately.
“Even when Lahweej insisted on rehashing untruth about the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, I once again corrected the misinformation about mistreatment of Libyan players during the Nigerian encounter.
“I did not apologise or regret the treatment of Libyan officials and players because the account was inaccurate.
“Lahweej proposed a joint statement, which the ministry rejected because it erroneously misrepresented the facts of the incident.
“Above all, Nigeria only shares a diplomatic relationship with the government of National Accord and not with the Eastern Government.”
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