Following a recent ruling by the Confederation of African Football in response to a complaint lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation regarding the treatment of the Super Eagles in Libya, there have been alarming reports of mass arrests and fines targeting the Nigerian community in the country.
The Super Eagles endured a tumultuous experience at Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya, where they were held for over 20 hours upon their arrival for the second leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Libyan national team.
Originally scheduled to land at Benghazi Airport, the flight, piloted by a Tunisian crew, was abruptly diverted by Libyan authorities less than an hour before arrival.
This diversion forced the team to travel nearly four hours by road to reach their match location in Benina, effectively preventing the match from taking place.
The situation sparked widespread outrage, leading the NFF to withdraw the Super Eagles from the qualifier and file a formal complaint with CAF.
On October 26, CAF’s disciplinary committee, headed by Chairman Ousmane Kane, ruled in favor of the Super Eagles, awarding them three points and three goals for the abandoned match.
The committee determined that the Libyan Football Federation had violated several regulations, including Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. In addition, the LFF was ordered to pay a fine of $50,000 within 60 days.
Discontented with the ruling, LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I denounced it as “unjust and malicious,” suggesting that the NFF’s influence within CAF heavily influenced the decision.
Al-Suwai’I indicated that the LFF would appeal the ruling, and if unsuccessful, they would escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In the aftermath of the CAF ruling, a popular Libyan news outlet, Libya News Today 1, reported an alarming sentiment among Libyan media, urging the government to take action against Nigerian workers residing in Libya without proper documentation.
The post stated, “All Libyan TV channels are urging the government to arrest the Nigerian workers who are working here in Libya without legal papers. They have to pay $500 plus taxes.”
This sentiment was echoed by a Libyan TV presenter who criticized Nigerians working in the country without tax payments, labeling their income as “haram,” or sinful.
Another Libyan site, Libya INF.TV, amplified the call for action against Nigerians, stating that those lacking legal documentation would be fined $500, and those refusing deportation would face severe consequences.
“The Libyan government will pay the Nigerian government from their citizens’ money,” the report claimed.
A Nigerian resident in Tripoli, Adenaike Emmanuel, confirmed the disturbing news to The PUNCH, stating, “They have already started. The news came out on Saturday, and they were saying they can’t accept it and that they are not the ones who will pay the money. They have started proving this.”
Emmanuel noted that arrests began shortly after the CAF announcement, with individuals being detained regardless of their legal status.
The President of the Nigerian community in Libya, Peter Omoregbie, corroborated these reports in a video shared across various Nigeria-based blogs.
Omoregbie explained, “The arrests started on Sunday night in some areas in Tedora. They are arresting innocent people. They don’t even care whether you have passports or residence permits.”
He emphasized that such indiscriminate actions were atypical compared to other countries, highlighting the distress felt within the community.
Omoregbie urged for international intervention, stressing that community leaders often feel powerless in such situations.
As the situation escalated, another Nigerian in Libya, Omo Oba Legba, expressed his concerns in a Facebook video, revealing that even those with legal status were not exempt from arrest.
“My Arab master, who is a policeman, just called me now and told me not to go out to buy anything because they have started arresting Nigerians in Libya,” he recounted, imploring the Nigerian government for assistance.
Additionally, a Nigerian man, seen pleading with the Libyan police in a viral video, lamented, “Football has nothing to do with us. If you want to catch them, catch them when they come here. Leave us out of this.”
His message underscored the disconnect between the Super Eagles’ situation and the broader experiences of Nigerians in Libya.
In light of these developments, Chairman of the National Institution for Human Rights in Libya, Ahmed Hamza, issued a warning against any retaliatory actions targeting Nigerian workers.
He cautioned that such hostilities could lead to severe domestic and international repercussions.
Hamza stated, “We warn against any form of retaliation against foreign and migrant workers in Libya, especially Nigerian workers, by security forces, armed groups, or citizens.”
Despite the urgency of the situation, attempts to contact the Libyan Embassy in Abuja for comments went unanswered, and the Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli did not respond to inquiries.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eche Abu-Obe, mentioned that he had reached out to the Director for Africa regarding the matter.
Former Nigerian ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode urged the Nigerian government to investigate the retaliatory arrests and consider reporting Libya to the African Union.
He advised Nigerians in Libya to remain cautious and, if necessary, to leave the country until the situation stabilizes.
“If the atmosphere is too hot for them, they should leave Libya,” he added, highlighting the precarious circumstances facing the Nigerian community in the North African nation.
