The Senate expressed outrage after the team, traveling with 22 players, technical crew, and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials, was diverted to a smaller airport and held for 14 hours between Sunday and Monday.
The Nigerian Senate has called on the Libyan government to issue an official apology over the mistreatment of the Super Eagles, Nigeria's national football team, during their arrival for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
The Senate expressed outrage after the team, traveling with 22 players, technical crew, and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials, was diverted to a smaller airport and held for 14 hours between Sunday and Monday.
During Tuesday's plenary, the Senate condemned the Libyan authorities for their actions, describing them as a violation of human dignity and international sportsmanship norms.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), stated that the treatment was "unacceptable and a disgrace to African unity."
The resolution came after Senator Sumaila Kawu (NNPP, Kano South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, raised a point of order, urging the government to launch an investigation into the incident.
The Senate insisted that Libya's actions go against the principles of sports, which aim to foster unity and friendship between nations.
Jibrin explained that the matter was brought under Personal Explanation by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Sulaiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South).
He said, "What happened to the Super Eagles in Libya goes against the spirit of sports. Sports are meant to foster unity, healthy competition, and brotherhood among nations on the continent. The treatment of our players was terrible and unacceptable.
"Fortunately, Kawu has provided a personal explanation, which is exactly what we hoped for, as we don't want this to escalate into a diplomatic issue. We believe the Libyans should be given a chance to correct this and apologize to the Nigerian government."
"Nigeria is a major player in Africa, always leading in diplomacy, friendship, and other areas. In that spirit, I trust that you decided to handle this matter carefully, allowing their leaders the opportunity to apologize to our national team.
"We urge the ambassador, relevant authorities, and all those involved to step forward and issue an apology for what was done to our national team.
"I want to commend the Chairman of the Sports Committee. You have handled this matter well and demonstrated diligence in your duties," he added.