A Libyan news organization, The Libya Observer on Tuesday claimed that in a recent phone call with the east-based government Foreign Minister Abdelhadi Al-Huwaij, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar extended an official apology to the Libyan government and its people for a recent incident involving the Libyan national football team.
According to the publication on Tuesday, Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry, Minister Tuggar expressed deep regret, clarifying that the incident was neither intentional nor a deliberate act by the Nigerian government. He emphasized Nigeria’s respect for Libya and its people, assuring that the matter was an unfortunate oversight.
But in a swift response on Wednesday, Mr Tuggar, dismissed claims that the country issued an apology to Libya over the recent detention of the Super Eagles in Benghazi.
In a statement released by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, on Wednesday, Tuggar described the report as a deliberate attempt to gain political leverage and mislead football administrators and fans across Africa.
According to the minister, the publication distorted the details of a phone call between him and Libya’s Eastern-based Foreign Minister, Abdelhadi Lahweej
He emphasised that rather than offering an apology, the Nigerian government expressed dissatisfaction over the treatment of its national team and demanded an immediate resolution to the issue.
“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.
“However, not much diplomatic headway was made during the meeting with the Acting Charge of Affairs, Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, as they insisted that it was not under the jurisdiction of Tripoli, which they represented, but that of the Eastern Government in Benghazi.
This prompted the Minister to take immediate action by contacting the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, to intervene and ensure that the detention ended,” the statement read.
Tuggar explained that following this, he directly contacted the Eastern-based government in Benghazi to intervene. After negotiations, the necessary permits were granted, allowing the Super Eagles to leave Libya, and the situation was de-escalated.
It added, “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. Even when Lahweej insisted on rehashing the untruth about the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, Amb Tuggar once again corrected the misinformation about the mistreatment of Libyan players during the Nigerian encounter.”
The minister also debunked false allegations by Lahweej concerning the mistreatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, correcting the record but refusing to apologise for any actions, as the claims were inaccurate.
He revealed that while Lahweej suggested issuing a joint statement on the matter, Nigeria rejected the proposal because it misrepresented the facts of the incident.
Recall that the Nigerian team had flown into Libya on Sunday afternoon for the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying Group D fixture against the Mediterranean Knights, only to be subjected to inhumane treatment upon arrival.
The Nigerian contingent was caged at the airport for over 20 hours without food or water and completely shut out of the world.
The Confederation of African Football said it was investigating the incident.
