1 month ago
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Nigeria’s parliament, the House of Representatives, has resolved to investigate the “inhumane and despicable treatment” of its national team, the Super Eagles, by the Libyans during the now-boycotted Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
The lawmakers decided to conduct the probe following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Kabiru Ahmadu on Tuesday during the plenary session.
Background
The Super Eagles were left stranded at Al Abraq Airport for 12 hours after landing in Libya. Their chartered ValueJet aircraft was diverted from Benghazi to the smaller Al Abraq International Airport, typically used for hajj operations.
The players subsequently opted to boycott the match scheduled for Tuesday (today) following their ordeal in the war-torn country and returned to Nigeria.
Many across the world condemned the unpleasant development, with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, describing the incident as “a most unfortunate situation.”
Mr Tuggar’s prompt response led to Libya’s chargé d’affaires being summoned to resolve the issue.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) also intervened, launching an investigation into Libya’s treatment of the Super Eagles.
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The Motion
Moving the motion, Mr Ahmadu lamented the ill-treatment of the Super Eagles, describing the entire event as “inhumane” and “ill-considered.”
He called for the condemnation of the Libyans’ actions, stating that the North African country also prevented the players from accessing food during their stay at the airport.
Speaking in support of the motion, Chris Nkwonta (APC, Abia) described the Eagles’ experience as “embarrassing,” not just for Nigeria but also for “other African countries.”
READ ALSO: How Super Eagles reacted to harrowing Libyan Airport experience
“It is an embarrassment not only for the team but for the entire country and other African nations. This matter requires urgent investigation by the House,” he said.
The House subsequently mandated its Committees on Sport and Foreign Affairs to carry out the investigation and submit a report within four weeks.
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