Sports Minister Condemns Libyan Authorities For Holding Super Eagles Hostage

The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has condemned the recent actions of Libyan authorities, who held Nigeria’s Super Eagles and their officials hostage at Al Abaq Airport.

The incident occurred after the Nigerian aircraft, originally boarding to Benghazi – the venue for the return fixture, was diverted to another city (a three-hour drive from the intended destination), just an hour before landing.

This diversion caused significant distress to the Super Eagles team, officials, and support staff, who were left stranded and subjected to unnecessary delays.

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In a statement released by his spokesperson, Diana-Mary Nsan, on Monday morning, Enoh expressed deep concern over the poor treatment of Austin Eguavoen’s men, particularly as they were in Libya for an international engagement.

“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,” Enoh stated.

“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,” he added.