Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has expressed strong condemnation over the treatment of the Super Eagles by Libyan authorities ahead of their second-leg match scheduled for Tuesday.
The New Daily Prime gathered that Libyan officials detained the Super Eagles at Al Abraq Airport for over 12 hours upon their arrival, leading to the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) withdrawal of the team from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya.
In a statement issued on Monday by the NFF Communications Department, it was revealed that the team was left stranded and unattended at the airport.
The Super Eagles had departed Nigeria on Sunday morning, prepared for their AFCON matchday 4 clash against the Mediterranean Knights.
Originally, Libya was set to host the three-time African champions at the 10,000-capacity Martyrs of Benina Stadium, located just 10 kilometres from Benghazi. However, reports indicated that the team was diverted to a different city, further complicating logistics.
Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement posted on her X page, stressed that travelling by road in Libya is highly dangerous and should be avoided due to the volatile situation in the war-torn country.
She said the diversion of the team to a different location would now require an additional three-hour road journey to the match venue, significantly increasing the risks faced by the team.
Emphasising the importance of the players’ safety, Dabiri-Erewa expressed confidence that the Ministry of Sports and the NFF would take appropriate action. She also urged the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to address the issue with the urgency and seriousness it demands.
The statement read: “Already, the players, the pilots and others on board the flight had been stranded and subjected to inhuman treatment at the airport for over 13 hours without water, food, rest and other means of communication. The team were delayed at an airport in Libya for more than 13 hours without any tangible reason”
“The Super Eagles flight was redirected airborne on Sunday and they were required to travel by road to their destination. However, there was no provision made for them by the Libya authorities and all efforts to make alternative provisions by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were frustrated.”
Dabiri-Erewa urged the Super Eagles to remain calm, assuring them that the NFF will soon determine the appropriate next steps.