[By Abigail Philip David]
Following a Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruling on the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) complaint about the mistreatment of the Super Eagles in Libya, Nigerian nationals in Libya are now reportedly facing mass arrests and fines.
The issue began when the Nigerian football team was held at Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya for over 20 hours, disrupting their arrival for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya’s national team. Originally, the team was set to land at Benghazi Airport, with a planned road trip to Benina, where the match was scheduled. However, the flight was diverted to Al-Abraq Airport, 150 miles away, sparking outrage and prompting the NFF to withdraw the Super Eagles from the game and lodge an official complaint with CAF.
On October 26, CAF’s disciplinary committee ruled in Nigeria’s favor, awarding the Super Eagles three points and three goals for the canceled match. Libya was also fined $50,000 for breaching CAF regulations. Libya’s Football Federation President, Nasser Al-Suwai’I, condemned the decision as “unjust” and signaled an intention to appeal.
Backlash Against Nigerian Nationals in Libya
Following the ruling, some Libyan media channels and blogs began calling for the government to target Nigerian workers. Popular Libyan news blog, Libya News Today 1, suggested Nigerians pay the CAF fine, urging that undocumented Nigerian workers be fined $500 plus taxes. A video of a Libyan TV presenter accompanying the post emphasized that Nigerians should pay to “regulate their stay” or face arrest.
According to Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian resident in Tripoli, arrests began on Sunday, soon after CAF’s ruling. Emmanuel reported that Libyan authorities had begun rounding up Nigerians indiscriminately, affecting even those with valid passports and residence permits.
The President of the Nigerian community in Libya, Peter Omoregbie, confirmed the arrests and said that Libyan authorities were targeting Nigerians regardless of legal status. Omoregbie appealed for international intervention, noting the arrests had created widespread fear within the Nigerian community.
In a separate video, another Nigerian, Omo Oba Legba, warned his community to avoid going outside as arrests intensified. He voiced frustration, stating, “The Nigerian team only faced one day of hardship. But we endure this every day. We urge the Nigerian government to come to our aid.”
Human Rights Concerns and Official Responses
The Chairman of Libya’s National Institution for Human Rights, Ahmed Hamza, condemned the retaliatory actions, warning against targeting foreign workers. Hamza noted that hostile media portrayals of foreigners as “illegal residents” could incite violence, with potential repercussions for Libya in both domestic and international courts.
Despite attempts to reach the Libyan Embassy in Abuja and the Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli, both missions remained unresponsive. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria stated it had sent inquiries to relevant officials but did not provide further details.
Call for Federal Intervention
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, urged the Nigerian government to investigate and, if necessary, report Libya to the African Union. He advised Nigerians in Libya to remain cautious, warning that if the situation escalates, it may be safer to leave the country.
The Nigerian community in Libya, fearing further reprisals, hopes for swift intervention from Nigerian and international authorities as tensions continue to rise in the wake of the CAF ruling.
