FG condemns Libya Observer for false report on diplomatic dispute

The Federal Government (FG) has strongly criticised The Libya Observer for publishing a misleading report on October 15, 2024, which it claims was intended to cause division among football administrators and fans across the continent.

The report, which inaccurately represented a phone conversation between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Minister of Libya’s Eastern Government, has been labeled as a case of misinformation.

In a statement released on Wednesday by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian government expressed its disappointment with the publication, stating that the facts of the situation had been deliberately distorted.

According to Abdulkadir, the incident in question involved a diplomatic effort by Nigeria to resolve a dispute related to the treatment of Nigerian Football Federation officials during their stay in Libya.

The statement also said that the Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) of Libya’s Government of National Unity was summoned to Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry to address the issue.

“However, the meeting yielded little progress, as the Libyan representative, Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, claimed the situation fell under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Government in Benghazi, not the Tripoli-based administration.

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“In response, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister contacted Abdelhadi Lahweej, the Foreign Minister of Libya’s Eastern Government, to intervene.

“Following their conversation, the necessary permits were granted for a Nigerian aircraft to fly, and fuel access was restored”, Abdulkadir noted.

He further said that both ministers agreed to de-escalate tensions immediately, despite Lahweej’s attempt to reiterate false claims about the treatment of Libyan players during a recent match in Nigeria.

Tuggar firmly corrected the record, stating that no mistreatment of Libyan players or officials had occurred, as alleged by The Libya Observer.

The Nigerian minister also refused to issue an apology, as the claims in the report were deemed inaccurate.

According to the statement, a proposal by Lahweej to release a joint statement was also rejected by the Nigerian government, which asserted that it misrepresented the facts of the incident.

Nigeria reaffirmed that its diplomatic ties are solely with Libya’s Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli, and not with the Eastern administration.

The FG also expressed its deep dissatisfaction with how its football officials were treated in Libya and called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to investigate the matter.

The CAF’s Disciplinary Board is urged to take appropriate action in accordance with its regulations.

FG reaffirmed committed to seeking a resolution and maintaining accurate communication, while calling out any attempts to use misinformation to escalate tensions.