Premier League star ‘scared for our lives’ as Nigeria complain team being ‘held hostage’ at abandoned Libyan airport
WILFRED NDIDI revealed “I’m scared for our lives” with the Nigerian football team held “hostage” in a locked abandoned airport for more than 18 hours.
The Super Eagles are due to play Libya in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier tomorrow night – but they are set to boycott the game.
However, their Sunday chartered flight was diverted during the descent and they were banned from leaving the airport in chaotic and worrying scenes with no access to food, drink and phone connections.
And now Nigeria are refusing to play in the match in protest at the awful treatment, which started yesterday evening, with the squad finally safely back in Nigeria.
Ndidi put on his Instagram story: “This is not football. Very embarrassing. Hostage to a national team. Disgrace.”
He later added: “This is becoming scary… I’m scared for our lives.”
Team-mate Victor Boniface tweeted at 12.24pm UK time – 1.24pm in Libya – on Monday lunchtime: “This is getting scary now. You guys can have the point. We just want to return to our country.”
Then 40 minutes later, captain William Troost-Ekong wrote: “Power of social media.
“Apparently our plane is being fuelled 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!”
The stranded squad was understood to include Premier League stars Alex Iwobi and Taiwo Awoniyi – plus ex-Leicester pair Ademola Lookman and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Bayer Leverkusen striker earlier Boniface wrote: “Been at the airport for almost 13 hours, no food no wifi nowhere to sleep. Africa we can do better.”
He added a video on X at 10.12am UK time from the grounds and claimed they had been holed up at the airport for 16 hours at that point – before his next update more than two hours later.
Approximately 15 minutes after Troost-Ekong said they should be “leaving shortly”, a photo was posted on social media at 1.20pm of the players queueing up to board the flight home.
Reports from Nigerian journalists alleged Libya charged five times the current market price for the fuel – after the Government eventually relented and issued a clearance to fly.
Nigeria beat Libya at home on Friday and were travelling for the return clash in northern Africa at the Benina Martyrs Stadium just outside Benghazi, Libya.
However, their plane was diverted at the last minute allegedly under Libyan Government orders to the tiny Al-Abraq Airport, a 150-mile, nearly four-hour drive from Benghazi and usually used for military purposes.
Libya had complained of their “poor treatment” in Friday’s match where Fissayo Dele-Bashiru grabbed the only goal.
That led to the woeful conditions for the Nigerian players, who were pictured trying to sleep on the seats in the empty terminal with their suitcases.
Video footage also appeared to show Nigerian football chiefs desperately pleading and negotiating with Libyan airport staff.
Former Tottenham and Watford defender Troost-Ekong updated fans throughout the shocking ordeal on X on Monday morning.
‘WE WILL NOT PLAY’
He initially wrote at 7.42am UK time: “12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason.
“They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.
“I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour.
“Even the Tunisian pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last-minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.
“Upon arrival, he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction.
“He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up.
“At this point, we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us.”
Troost-Ekong continued: “As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game.
“CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow this kind of behaviour, let them have the points.
“We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security it’s not safe.
“We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us IF we continued.
“We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria.
“Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with international football.”
Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar stepped in to get involved and help resolve the problems.
He revealed a compatriot arrived at the airport at 6am this morning with “necessary supplies and internet access”.
Tuggar wrote: “I have been closely monitoring the situation involving the Super Eagles in Libya.
“The Mission has maintained contact with the NFF, and the Libyan authorities since last night.
“Despite efforts, Libyan authorities have not yet authorised the Nigerian Mission’s trip to Bayda City, where the airport is located.”
Several hours later Troost-Ekong tweeted an update confirming they were back home.
He wrote: “Back home safe and sound.
“Proud of this team, NAIJA SPIRIT can’t be broken.
“Throw at us what you want, it’s in our blood to overcome. I’ve seen a lot in my 10 years with this group, but nothing like this, an experience that has brought us even closer TOGETHER.”
Actions like this go against the spirit of sportsmanship… this is uncalled for and inhumane
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen is not with the squad but also hit out at the treatment of his team-mates.
He wrote on Instagram: “I am disappointed by the unfair treatment my brothers and coaches are facing at the Libya airport last night.
“Actions like this go against the spirit of sportsmanship. My support is with my team, and I know they’ll stay strong despite these obstacles.
“I call on CAF (Confederation of African Football) to intervene, as my team-mates and officials are still stranded at the airport in Libya.
“This is uncalled for and inhumane. We stand together, stronger than ever.”
Players posted various videos from the airport on social media.
And one showed a minibus that was eventually pulled up, likely to transport the team.
However, the Nigeria squad did not board.
Troost-Ekong added just before 12.30pm UK time: “Can I shock you?! The pilot has just told us there has been fuel at this airport for the plane all this time.
“They could have released it but haven’t given us permission since. Can you imagine?!
“So how long are they planning to hold us hostage here!!! Still just waiting.
“After our first tweets magically a team bus arrived and a driver who has been standing inside the airport filming us and laughing with some of the other staff since last night said the bus was ready 12 hours after we landed.
“Now we have been waiting for fuel since morning…
“At this point I’m even tired of laughing instead of crying.”
Libya’s initial anger stemmed from the reverse clash in Nigeria last week.
Captain Faisal Al-Badri claimed the Nigerian Football Federation disrupted their own travel plans into Nigeria.
He said: “We left the hotel at six in the morning, and the plane took off at nine.
“The flight took four hours, and thus we arrived in Nigeria at one in the afternoon, Libyan time.
“Our luggage was searched inside the plane for an hour, and we were also delayed in transportation from one city to another for three hours, even though we travelled on a private plane, and there was an airport close to the city we wanted to play in.
“We later contacted the company responsible for transporting and securing the mission, but they informed us that there was no police patrol at the time, which increased the risk.
“After a long time, three non-air-conditioned minibuses and a police car arrived, in addition to two cars from the Libyan embassy.”
However, the NFF assistant director Emmanuel Ayanbunmi rejected the accusations and insisted he was not made fully aware of Libya’s itinerary because the Libyan FA general secretary “said he would get back to me but never did”.
Ayanbunmi also suggested that Libya refused the NFF’s offer of transportation arrangements and decided to hire buses independently.