PHILIP NYAM 
PHILIP NYAM writes on how the Senate and House of Representatives waded into the recent inhuman treatment of the Super Eagles players by the Libyan government and its football federation
It is now common knowledge that the second leg qualifier for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and The Mediterranean Knights of Libya billed for October 15, 2024, was aborted following the withdrawal of Nigeria due to the inhuman treatment meted out to her national team.
Recall that the Libyan national team had a week earlier lost to the Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo by a lone goal.
But in an attempt to torture the Nigerian players emotionally and weaken them in order to have their players defeat the Super Eagles, the Libyan authorities resorted to the most shameful and inhuman antics. Expectedly, the action attracted criticism from across the sporting world and President Bola Tinubu.
House of Reps calls for probe
It was in this wise that the House of Representatives and Senate passed separate motions condemning the inhuman treatment of the Super Eagles and the nation’s delegation by the Libyan government and the country’s football federation. The House resolution was consequent upon the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Kabiru Ahmad (PDP, Zamfara) at plenary penultimate Tuesday.
While presenting the motion seconded by Hon. Billy Osawaru, Ahmad said that the Super Eagles of Nigeria were expected to play a return match fixture of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights of Libya. He said that the match was scheduled to hold on Tuesday, October 15, after the North African team was defeated by the Super Eagles in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State.
The lawmaker noted that the Super Eagles flew to Libya on Sunday, October 13, to play the match scheduled for the Martyrs of February Stadium, Benghazi, Libya on October 15. According to him, among the Nigerian contingent were some members of the House of Representatives led by the deputy chairman, House Committee on Sports and the deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu and members of the NFF board.
Ahmad said he was “concerned about the frustrating 18-hour ordeal faced by the Super Eagles at Al-Abraq In ternational Airport in Libya, where they were left stranded on arrival at 14:00hr on Sunday, October 13, till the team and the contingent departed from the airport.”
He added: “The team and the delegation were en route to Benghazi in Libya before their aircraft was unexpectedly diverted mid-flight to Al-Abraq, a small airport typically reserved for hajj operations. In spite of diverting the flight to a small airport with little or no amenities, the Libyan authorities did not allow the team to get out of the airport or move to their hotel, no access to the internet, no food.
“The airport was cordoned and they were held hostage for 18 hours. The fatigued and frustrated players resolved not to play the match any longer due to the hostilities by the Libyan Football Federation and the Libyan government.” Contributing to the motion, the member representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, condemned the treatment of the Nigerian team, saying: “This is unacceptable to our national team.
We must condemn this and it must not happen again.” Nkwonta called for a thorough investigation into the issue as Africans should not treat each other with such disdain and to ensure such practice never reoccurs.
While the motion was voted on, adopted and referred to the House Committee on Sports as well as that on Foreign Affairs, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who sympathised with the players, appreciated their patriotism and mandated the committees on Sports and Foreign Affairs to investigate the incident.
Senate
The chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Abdulrahman Sumaila Kawu, who raised the issue the same day in the Red Chamber, condemned the inhuman treatment of the Nigerian players.
He said the action of the Libyan authorities and the country’s football federation did not only endanger the lives of the players but other members of the delegation. He described the act of the Libyans as deliberately orchestrated to frustrate and dampen the morale of the Nigerian team, who are on national assignment.
His words: “The action of the Libyan authorities and football federation did not only endangered the lives of the players, but other members of the delegation, which include the deputy governor of Edo State, Nigeria Football Federation officials, and a couple of parliamentarians and staff of the Nigerian parliament”.
“The Embassy of Nigeria in Tripoli made an arrangement with the authorities in Benghazi to welcome the Nigerian delegation before the arrival, but their application was out rightly rejected, as the Libyan authorities concluded to frustrate our team ahead of the match.”
Kawu urged the Senate to consider his proposal and condemn the ill-treatment of the team by the Libyan authorities. He also urged the Nigerian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bring the ugly development to the attention of the Libyan government, while stressing the need to exercise restraint as the act has negative diplomatic consequences.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, in his support of the motion, said what happened to the Super Eagles in Libya was not in tandem with the spirit of sports.
According to him, “the essence of sports is to promote unity and competition and enhance brother hood among the countries on the continent.”
Describing the manner the Super Eagles players were treated as “terrible,” Jibrin called on the Libyan government to apologize for what they did to the Nigerian team.
“We do not want a diplomatic row. We call on the ambassador and the authorities to come out and apologize for what they have done to our national team,” he said.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who also condemned the ill-treatment of Nigerian team, described the incident as a “stark reminder of the disregard for human dignity and the lack of respect for international norms.”
Akpabio, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, emphasized that the mistreatment is unacceptable and breaches the principles of fair play and sportsmanship in international football competitions.
He decried the antics and shameful behaviour of the Libyan officials and authorities, saying: “This unfortunate incident is a stark reminder of the disregard for human dignity and the lack of respect for international norms.
As the President of the Senate, I stand in solidarity with the Super Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and the entire Nigerian football community in condemning this unjust treatment.”
“The Nigerian Senate will continue to monitor this situation closely and ensure that the rights and dignity of our citizens are protected. We will not tolerate any form of mistreatment or disrespect towards our nationals, regardless of the circumstances.
We demand a thorough investigation from the Disciplinary Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and appropriate sanctions to be meted out against those involved.
“It is also imperative that the Libyan authorities take immediate action to investigate this incident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable to prevent future occurrences. We call on the international football community to condemn this unacceptable behaviour and support our demand for justice,” he added.
