Libya has commenced widespread arrests of Nigerians following the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) ruling against the Libyan Football Federation (LFF). The verdict came after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) lodged a complaint over the Super Eagles’ mistreatment at Al-Abraq Airport, where they were detained for over 20 hours ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Nigerian team, set to land at Benghazi Airport and make a four-hour journey to Benina for the match, faced an unexpected diversion mid-flight, forcing a detour to Al-Abraq Airport, 150 miles from their intended destination. Outrage over this incident led the NFF to withdraw from the match and file an official complaint with CAF.
On October 26, CAF’s disciplinary committee, led by Chairman Ousmane Kane, ruled in Nigeria’s favor, awarding the Super Eagles three points and three goals and slapping the LFF with a $50,000 fine for breaching CAF regulations. This sparked tension in Libya, with LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I labeling the decision “unjust and malicious” and vowing to appeal.
Reports indicate that Libyan media have urged the government to target Nigerians as a way to offset the financial penalty. One prominent Libyan blog, Libya News Today 1, with over 188,000 followers, posted that the penalty should be paid by Nigerian residents in the country, leading to a call for mass arrests and a $500 fine for unregistered Nigerian workers.
Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian in Tripoli, confirmed the arrests, stating, “They have already started. The news came out on Saturday, and they began arresting people by Sunday morning in different areas. Libyans see this as revenge.”
The President of the Nigerian community in Libya, Peter Omoregbie, reported similar events, adding that many are being arrested irrespective of their legal status. “They don’t care whether you have a passport or residence permit. It’s unprecedented,” Omoregbie said in a video shared with Nigerian community groups.
Another Nigerian, Omo Oba Legba, warned compatriots via a Facebook video, saying, “My Arab master, a policeman, told me not to go out because they’ve started arresting Nigerians indiscriminately, even those with passports. We need help.”
Libyan rights advocate Ahmed Hamza, Chairman of the National Institution for Human Rights, cautioned against retaliatory measures, warning that such actions could lead to domestic and international legal consequences.
The Nigerian and Libyan embassies have yet to issue official responses. Meanwhile, former Nigerian ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode called on the Nigerian government to gather evidence and escalate the matter to the African Union, urging Nigerians to stay safe or consider returning home if tensions persist.
