The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has accused the Libyan Football Federation of intentionally mistreating the Super Eagles during their stay in Libya.

The team, along with officials, was stranded for several hours at a Libyan airport on Sunday, denied access to basic necessities such as food and the internet, ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights.

Diplomatic efforts and public outcry on social media eventually led to the team being cleared to leave Libya.

Two days after the incident, Senator Enoh addressed the situation in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Refuting claims made by the Libyan side about poor treatment during the Nigerian leg of the match, the minister dismissed the allegations as fabricated.

“The Port Harcourt Airport, where the Libyan team landed, is one of our best airports. Under no circumstances would we have allowed their players to be lying on the floor,” he said. “These allegations were manufactured to create a false narrative. If there had been any issue, it should have been raised at the time.”

He also commended the Nigerian government’s efforts, both diplomatically and otherwise, to manage the situation.

When asked if the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had played a role in the situation, the minister avoided giving a direct answer. Instead, he expressed frustration that the NFF (Nigerian Football Federation) President was not given an opportunity to communicate with the CAF Secretary General.

Senator Enoh criticised CAF’s failure to act promptly, noting that 13 hours had passed before the organisation even acknowledged the harsh treatment of the Nigerian players.