Libya Escalates Mass Arrest of Nigerians After CAF Ruling Sparks Tensions

In the wake of a recent CAF ruling, Libya has intensified mass arrests of Nigerians, raising concerns over the safety and treatment of foreign nationals. Discover the latest developments and implications for Nigerians in Libya. 

Following the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision on the Nigerian Football Federation’s complaint about how the Super Eagles were treated in Libya, reports from within Libya suggest an increase in arrests and fines targeting Nigerians.

Upon their arrival in Libya for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held at Al-Abraq Airport for more than 20 hours. Although they originally planned to land in Benghazi and proceed to Benina, where the game was scheduled, Libyan authorities redirected their flight less than an hour before landing. This unexpected change compelled the Nigerian team to withdraw from the match and led them to file an official complaint with CAF.

On October 26, CAF’s disciplinary committee granted Nigeria three points and goals for the match that was canceled due to Libya violating AFCON regulations. Additionally, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) received a $50,000 fine—a decision which LFF’s president condemned as “unjust and malicious,” claiming it resulted from improper influence by the NFF.

Following the CAF decision, prominent Libyan blogs on social media have advocated for Nigerian workers in Libya to face financial consequences through arrests and fines. One blog post mentioned that “all Libyan TV channels are encouraging the government to detain Nigerian workers without proper documentation in Libya, requiring them to pay $500 plus taxes.”

READ ALSO: AFCON Qualifiers: CAF Awards Victory to Super Eagles, Fines Libya for Maltreatment 

Reports from Nigerians in Libya suggest that these arrests commenced soon after the announcement of CAF’s verdict. “They have already started,” stated Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian living in Tripoli. “In certain areas, individuals were detained on Sunday morning and afternoon.”

Peter Omoregbie, the leader of the Nigerian community in Libya, confirmed the arrests and stated, “They are detaining innocent individuals without regard for whether they possess passports or residence permits.”

A former Nigerian ambassador has encouraged the government to record these incidents and potentially lodge a formal complaint with the African Union. He stated, “By gathering evidence of the mistreatment, Nigerians can enable the Federal Government to directly address their grievances with the Libyan government.”

Libyan rights organizations have cautioned against acts of retaliation, emphasizing that hostility towards foreign workers may lead to legal consequences both domestically and internationally.