By Victor Kanayo
Members of the Nigerian Community living in Libya have reported mass arrests, fines and deportation threats on them.
This development appears to be linked to the recent verdict delivered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the treatment of the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, during their sporting visit to Libya.
The Nigerian national team had been detained for over 20 hours at Al-Abraq Airport ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya.
The CAF Disciplinary Board penalised the Libya Football Federation (LFF) with a $50,000 fine and awarded Nigeria a 3-0 forfeit victory, intensifying tensions.
In the October 26 ruling, CAF also awarded Nigeria three points and three goals for the abandoned match, bolstering their qualification standing. LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I condemned the decision, calling it “unjust” and alleging undue NFF influence within CAF.
In response, Libyan media and online platforms have ramped up calls for punitive action against Nigerian nationals.
Libya News Today 1, a popular Libyan news outlet, posted: “All Libyan TV channels are urging the government to arrest Nigerian workers without legal documents. They should pay $500 plus taxes. This fine will be covered by Nigerian citizens living here.”
The post was followed by a video of a Libyan TV presenter urging authorities to pursue Nigerians working in Libya without paying taxes or obtaining residence permits.
Another platform, Libya INF.TV, echoed these sentiments, reporting calls for mass arrests, with penalties of $500 or deportation for undocumented Nigerians.
Amid mounting tensions, a Nigerian resident in Libya, Omo Oba Legba, warned others in a Facebook video: “My Arab boss, who is a policeman, told me not to go out because they’ve started arresting Nigerians. They aren’t even checking passports—any Nigerian is at risk.”
In a further escalation, Libya INF.TV shared a video of a Nigerian man pleading with Libyan authorities, urging them to “leave Nigerians out of this” and stressing that football-related issues should not affect Nigerian residents in Libya.
The CAF ruling has strengthened Nigeria’s qualification bid for the 2025 AFCON. Nigeria now tops Group D with 10 points, four points ahead of Benin Republic.
Rwanda follows with five points, while Libya, with just one point, is now eliminated from contention.
