The flight's unexpected rerouting to the remote Al-Abraq airport, rather than their planned arrival in Benghazi, has sparked significant tension between Nigeria and Libya.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has claimed that this diversion was deliberate, while the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has refuted allegations of mistreatment, attributing the situation to logistical issues.
In a video interview shared on X by sports journalist Pooja Media on Tuesday, the pilot clarified that the decision to divert the flight was not his own but was directed by Libyan authorities.
“The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had the approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to do so,” the pilot said.
“However, when we began our descent, they instructed us to divert to Al-Abraq, which is almost 150 miles away, around 300 kilometres east. It wasn’t even (listed as) our alternate airport, something which is not good,” he added.
The pilot characterized the diversion as potentially hazardous, referencing the fuel computations conducted for the original destination.
“In aviation, we have our flight plan, we calculate the fuel to our destination, so we have to avoid this kind of thing because it may make a breach to safety,” he stated, adding that he repeatedly questioned the directive.
“When I asked to land in Benghazi according to my flight plan and according to my authorisation, they said no, it’s from the highest authority, you have to land in Al-Abraq.”
Refuting claims from the media that the diversion was his decision, he said, “Everything is registered in aviation, we cannot hide anything, so I asked them several times, at least eight times, and I warned them, probably I will be in trouble for fuel; they said it’s from highest authority, you cannot land in Benghazi, you have to divert immediately to Al-Abraq,” he added.
The pilot Indicated that all pertinent communications and permissions are well-documented and can be furnished as supporting evidence, if necessary.
He said, “The truth was we were going to Benghazi, and I can show you the evidence of the approval, I have it. But at the last minute, they changed their mind and changed the airport.”
During a discussion on the conditions at Al-Abraq, the pilot emphasized the difficulties associated with landing at the modestly equipped domestic airport.
“There is no ILS (Instrument Landing System), no air navigation approach, no VHR (VHF Omnidirectional Range). We had to make a visual landing, which is particularly difficult by night with marginal weather,” he said, adding that the airport’s lack of facilities left them with “no second chances” if the landing had gone wrong.
The pilot's extensive knowledge of the region, gained through his two-year tenure with a local Tunisian company, proved instrumental in successfully executing the challenging landing.
“It was not an easy matter at all. When a pilot hears this, he will understand that it was not an easy thing to land under such conditions. Thank God we made it safely,” he said.
In the meantime, the Nigeria Football Federation has made the decision to withdraw the Super Eagles from the qualifying match against Libya.
“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer, and NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” the statement said.