The lawyer to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has said that the ordeal the players and coaches of the Nigerian national football team, Super Eagles faced in Libya is a direct consequence of the Nigerian government’s maladministration.
Ejiofor said this in a statement he titled, “Super Eagles Abysmal Treatment in Libya: A Direct Consequence of Maladministration”, in reaction to the ordeal the Nigeria’s national football team faced in Libya where they were kept stranded at the Libyan Airport for over 13 hours.
He said that the Nigerian government had often neglected the welfare of its sports teams, and that when the athletes were not given the support they needed, it sent a message that other nations could afford to treat them poorly.
Ejiofor, who however condemned in the strongest terms Libya’s action against the Super Eagles, said, “I join millions of sports lovers in strongly condemning the appalling and hostile treatment the Super Eagles were subjected to in Libya. It is, without a doubt, beyond disappointing.
“Being stranded in an airport for over 13 hours with no food, water, or proper communication is not just disrespectful – it is outrightly unacceptable and stand strongly condemned.
“I can not imagine how frustrating and exhausting it must have been for the team to endure that level of neglect and mistreatment.
“Such behaviour completely undermines the spirit of international sportsmanship, where mutual respect and hospitality should be a given, regardless of the host country.
“Substantial part of the blame falls on the Nigerian government, which has often neglected the welfare of its sports teams.
“When the athletes are not given the support they need, it sends a message that other nations can afford to treat them poorly.
“This lack of attention from those at the helms of affairs only emboldens such disrespect abroad.
“CAF needs to step in here. The Super Eagles deserve better, and we can only hope that this incident serves as a wake-up call to ensure no team has to go through something like this again.
“Everyone should be treated with dignity, especially on such a global stage.”
SaharaReporters had reported how the team had been stranded for over 13 hours in Libya after the host country’s government deliberately disrupted their travel plans.
This made the players with the approval of the Nigerian Football Federation decide to withdraw from playing their upcoming African Cup of Nations(AFCON) qualifying match against Libya.
The team had earlier boarded their Valuejet chartered plane to move out of Libya on Monday afternoon after they accused Libyan authorities of maltreating them.
The assistant captain of the team, William Troost-Ekong made this known in his recent X post. He said the players and the officials have started making the necessary preparations to leave the North African country.
He said: “Power of social media. Apparently our plane is being fueled as we speak and we should be leaving to Nigeria shortly. Thanks for everyone’s support! I REITERATE: We would NEVER treat a guest nation for a game in this way. Mistakes happen, delays happen. But never on purpose.”
On Monday evening, one of the players, Victor Boniface via his popular Twitter handle confirmed that the players and coaches had finally landed in Nigeria.