Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has denied claims that the country issued an apology to Libya regarding the recent detention of the Super Eagles football team in Benghazi.
The clarification came after a false report by The Libya Observer, which stated that Nigeria had apologized.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Tuggar’s Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, it was explained that a phone call between Tuggar and Libya’s Eastern-based Foreign Minister, Abdelhadi Lahweej, was misrepresented.
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Rather than an apology, Nigeria expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of its national team and demanded a swift resolution.
“The Charge d’Affaires of the Government of National Unity was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but not much progress was made as they claimed the issue fell under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Government in Benghazi,” the statement read.
Tuggar then directly contacted the Eastern Government to ensure the situation was de-escalated, which led to the Super Eagles being allowed to leave Libya once necessary permits were issued.
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The minister also corrected misinformation regarding the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria during previous encounters.
The situation has since been resolved, and Nigeria maintains that no apology was made.
Source: The Nation