How Libya held Eagles hostage in disused airport for 15 hours

Harrassed and tired Super Eagles players yesterday arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport after they were held hostage for over 15 hours by the Libyan authorities, sparking global outrage.

The team was billed to engage their Libyan counterpart in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Benina which has now been aborted, as the Confederation of African Football, CAF, would be consulting its CAF Statutes and Regulations to know who violated their rules.

The Super Eagles were practically held hostage in a locked abandoned airport with no access to food, drink and phone connections after their chartered flight (ValueJet) was diverted during descent and they were banned from leaving the airport in chaotic and worrying scenes.

The inhuman treatment meted out to the Nigerian players, yesterday, propelled the Federal Government to summon the Libyan Charge d’Affairs in Nigeria, even as President Bola Tinubu demanded swift justice over the incident. The Super Eagles were due to play Libya in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier tonight. The Nigerian national team had won the first leg played at the Uyo International Stadium 1-0.

After being stranded for over 15 hours, the Nigerian team refused to play in the match in protest at the awful treatment.

The Nigerian team, which included renowned players, who play for respected clubs around the world, expressed their anger and disgust by posting their videos and comments on social media condemning the primitive attitude of the Libyans.

Players recount ordeal

Wilfred: “This is not football. Very embarrassing. Hostage to a national team. Disgrace.” Bayer Leverkusen striker, Victor Boniface, added: “Been at the airport for almost 13 hours, no food, no wifi, nowhere to sleep. Africa we can do better.” He added a video on X from the grounds and claimed they had been holed up at the airport for 16 hours. Nantes winger, Moses Simon, took to social media handle to condemn the conditions the Super Eagles witnessed in Libya, describing the experience as akin to being ‘held hostage’.

He expressed his frustration on X (formerly Twitter), posting pictures of players lounging in what appeared to be a refugee camp setting. “Super Eagles weathering the situation in Libya as we are held hostage,” he wrote, shedding light on the dire circumstances. Bright Osayi-Samuel, speaking on the horrible situations he encoutered in Libya airport, asked CAF to do something immediately.

“I’ve been stuck in a random Libyan airport for 15 hours with no guarantee of health & safety… We can do better. No food. No water. No wifi,’’ he said. Nigeria beat Libya at home on Friday and were travelling for the return clash in northern Africa at the Benina Martyrs Stadium, outside Benghazi, Libya.

However, their plane was diverted at the last minute allegedly on Libyan government orders to the tiny Al-Abraq Airport, a 150-mile, nearly four-hour drive from Benghazi and usually used for military purposes.

Libya had complained of their “poor treatment” in Friday’s match where Fissayo Dele-Bashiru grabbed the only goal. That led to the woeful conditions for the Nigerian players, who were pictured sleeping on the seats in the terminal with their suitcases.

Video footage also showed Nigerian football chiefs desperately pleading and negotiating with Libyan airport staff.

Captain William Troost- Ekong updated fans with the shocking ordeal on X . He wrote: “12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason.

“They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games. “I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour. “Even the Tunisian pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last-minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.

“At this point, we have called on our Nigerian government to intervene and rescue us.” Troost-Ekong continued: “As the captain, together with the team, we have decided that we will NOT play this game. “CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow this kind of behaviour, let them have the points.

“We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here, even with security, it’s not safe. “We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us, if we continued. We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. “Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with international football.”

Tuggar steps in

Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, stepped in to help resolve the problems. He revealed a compatriot arrived at the airport with “necessary supplies and internet access,”

Tuggar wrote: “I have been closely monitoring the situation involving the Super Eagles in Libya. “The mission has maintained contact with the NFF, and the Libyan authorities since last night. “Despite efforts, Libyan authorities have not yet authorised the Nigerian Mission’s trip to Bayda City, where the airport is located.” Libya’s anger Like they say, revenge only engenders violence, not clarity and true peace. This is so true because Libya’s initial anger stemmed from the first leg clash played at the Uyo International stadium.

Mediterranean Knight’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri claimed the Nigerian Football Federation disrupted their own travel plans into Nigeria. He said: “We left the hotel at six in the morning, and the plane took off at nine. “The flight took four hours, and thus we arrived in Nigeria at 1pm, Libyan time.

“Our luggage were searched inside the plane for an hour, and we were also delayed in transportation from one city to another for three hours, even though we travelled on a private plane, and there was an airport close to the city we wanted to play in.

“We later contacted the company responsible for transporting and securing the mission, but they informed us that there was no police patrol at the time, which increased the risk. “After a long time, three nonair- conditioned minibuses and a police car arrived, in addition to two cars from the Libyan embassy.”

NFF rejects claims

But the Nigeria Football Federation rejected their claims of poor treatment on arrival in Nigeria by the captain of the Libya senior men national team, Faisal Al-Badri, insisting that the Libyan Football Federation created chaos for its own team, the Mediterranean Knights.

NFF’s Assistant Director (Protocol), Mr. Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, said the Libya Federation only informed the NFF that its team was landing in Port Harcourt and not Uyo, only three hours to the team’s arrival on Tuesday. “I spoke to the General Secretary of LFF, at length, on Monday, October 7, and he never hinted that his team would be arriving on Tuesday (the following day). He only said he would get back to me but he never did.

“On Monday evening, someone sent as an advance party by the LFF called me and said his team would be arriving on Tuesday by noon. We made all arrangements to receive the team in Uyo on arrival. “It was only an hour after the team was airborne that he told me the delegation would be landing in Port Harcourt. That disrupted so many things, but we still raced on to get approval from federal authorities to allow their plane fly them to Uyo once they concluded immigration formalities in Port Harcourt. Apparently, that would have meant additional cost to the LFF from the charter company, and they didn’t want that, so they preferred to travel from Port Harcourt to Uyo by road.” Ayanbunmi added that the Libyan delegation jettisoned road transportation arrangements made for them by the NFF and instead hired buses on their own.

“If they travelled on buses that were not air-conditioned, that had nothing to do with the NFF as they hired their own buses. We provided security for them, with men and vehicles in front and behind their buses.”

CAF

CAF said in a statement, yesterday, that it was in contact with authorities in both nations, with “appropriate action” to be taken against anyone who violated its rules. Kalu berates Libya Football Federation, urges CAF’s sanction Also yesterday, the Pillar of Sports in Africa, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, condemned in strong terms the ill treatment meted out on the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Libya.

Kalu, who insisted that CAF must sanction Libya for treating the Super Eagles with such disdain and disregard, said: “CAF must make that decision as quickly as possible to serve as a deterrent to any African country that behaves in such an irresponsible manner.

“These things must be put to a halt forthwith. This dishonorable display of lack of class and character must stop henceforth. I condemn this horrible disregard for fellow humans. “It is utter shame that the Libya Football Federation could display such a cunning strategy.

These were the things they cunningly did to Enyimba Football Club of Aba, and I fought against it. CAF must award the three points to the Super Eagles of Nigeria immediately.” Libya FA statement In a statement, the Libya FA expressed concern about the situation, saying: “We regret any inconvenience caused, but it’s important to understand that such incidents can occur due to routine air traffic control protocols, security checks or logistical challenges affecting international air travel.

“These situations are standard at airports worldwide, and while unfortunate, they are not uncommon. We hold our Nigerian counterparts in the highest regard and want to clarify that the diversion of their flight was not intentional.

“There is no basis for accusing Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of orchestrating this incident. Such actions contradict our values and principles. “We reject any claims of foul play or sabotage. Just last week, our national team faced significant challenges upon arriving in Nigeria for an AFCON qualifier, yet we did not make public accusations or question the integrity of Nigerian authorities.

“Football unites nations and we are dedicated to fostering fairness and mutual respect on and off the field. “In Libya, we take pride in our hospitality and our welcoming nature. We prioritise treating all visiting teams, including our African brothers, with the respect and dignity they deserve. Hosting these events is an honour, and we strive to ensure all teams feel safe and respected as our guests. This commitment to equality and hospitality is central to our culture. “We hope this misunderstanding can be resolved with goodwill.

Our doors remain open to our Nigerian brothers and all African teams as we continue to promote unity, sportsmanship, and friendship in football.” Nigeria beat Libya 1-0 in the first leg in Uyo on Friday from a late goal scored by Dele-Bashiru. The win took the Super Eagles to seven points from three games in their Group D. Republic of Benin managed by former Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, have six points, while Rwanda have two points and Libya one point respectively. The top two team in each group will advance to the 24 team finals in Morocco next year. Super Eagles arrived in Kano about 6pm The team finally touched down at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, at about 6pm, en route the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. A staff at the Kano Airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the team, at press time, was being moved from the international wing of the airport to the domestic wing for the flight to Abuja.

FG summons Libyan Charge D’Affaires in Abuja

Meanwhile, before the Super Eagles eventually departed Libya, the Federal Government had summoned the Libyan Charge D’Affaires in Abuja over the alleged shabby treatment of the players and officials. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tugga disclosed this to journalists after meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The minister described the development in Libya as an unfortunate situation, adding that Nigerian officials from the Mission in the country had been sent to interface with the Super Eagles delegation. He said: “Well, it’s the most unfortunate situation because the Super Eagles flew to Libya to play a match. As you know, the Libyan team was here (last weekend).

“They (Libyan team) were supposed to land in Uyo, instead they landed in Port Harcourt, where they were not supposed to land. And now our team has gone to Libya and somehow, the plane gets diverted to a different airport. “Unfortunately, at that airport, there is no aviation fuel, because what we have decided is they need to refuel and get out, we will not be able to allow them to continue. No food. “You know, it’s a good thing when they (Libyan delegation) landed in Kano, they actually even got some water, some cartons of water, otherwise even water would have been a problem. “But suffice it to say that we have established contact with them. We have sent people from the mission to go there, representing the mission. They are in touch with the delegation. “Now I am also communicating directly with the chairman (of the Nigerian Football Federation) and since last night, we have been on the phone with the Chargé D’Affaires because Libya doesn’t have an ambassador here. “

So we are in touch with the Chargé D’Affaires and I’m heading back to the ministry now, where we have summoned the Libyan Chargé D’Affaires. This issue has to be resolved as quickly as possible. So we are on top of the situation.” Tinubu demands justice, welcomes

Super Eagles’ safe return

Also, President Bola Tinubu, deeply moved by the inhuman treatment endured by the Super Eagles at the airport in Libya, welcomed their safe return to the country and also demanded justice for the team. President Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said he “expects the Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend appropriate action against those who wilfully violated the organisation’s Statutes and Regulations.”

The President commended the proactive coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Sports Development in addressing the unfortunate episode and ensuring the safe return of the players. He applauded the players for keeping their spirit alive, despite the excruciating ordeal in Libya.

Tinubu said he “ recognises football’s unifying power in bringing nations and people together and views the treatment of our citizens as unsportsmanlike and inhumane, a stark contrast to the spirit of the game he deeply appreciates.”

President Tinubu fervently called on all lovers of the round-leather game and administrators to unite and work collaboratively to prevent and overcome such incidents in the future.

Adebayor, Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles

TWO former African Footballers of the Year, Emmanuel Adebayo of Togo and Pierre Emerick- Aubameyang of Gabon have condemned the actions of the Libyan authorities who subjected the Super Eagles of Nigeria to inhuman treatment at the Al Abaq Airport. Adebayor was the African Footballer of the Year in 2008 while Aubameyang won the 2015 edition. Local authorities left the Nigerian contingents unattended to for more than 15 hours after they arrived on Sunday night. Players were seen sleeping on the bench and the team’s doctors raised concerns over their health ahead of the match.

Adebayor, a legend of African football and Arsenal wrote on Xplatform: “Nigerian Super Eagles were stranded at a Libyan airport, locked in without food, wi-fi, or a place to sleep after their flight was diverted. “This type of behaviour is unacceptable for the progress of African football. No team should face such treatment. We stand with Nigeria’s Super Eagles. Respect and fair play must come first on and off the field.” His Gabonese c o u n t e r p a r t , Aubameyang who also played for Arsenal said the Libyan action should not happen in 2024. He wrote on X: “Anyway that is not possible in 2024 acting like that.”

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