Nigerians In Libya Targeted For Arrest After CAF Awards Victory To Super Eagles

Nigerians In Libya Targeted For Arrest After CAF Awards Victory To Super Eagles

Reports have surfaced of mass arrests and fines targeting Nigerians in Libya, allegedly in response to a recent ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarding Nigeria’s Super Eagles three points and three goals due to mistreatment they experienced in Libya..……CONTINUE READING 

Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian resident in Tripoli, confirmed the arrests, which began shortly after the ruling. According to CAF, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) was in violation of tournament regulations for detaining Nigeria’s team for over 20 hours at the Al-Abraq Airport while en route to a match.

Following Nigeria’s formal complaint, CAF ruled in favor of the Super Eagles on October 26 and fined the LFF $50,000. However, the decision has reportedly sparked backlash in Libya, with some Libyans allegedly retaliating by arresting Nigerians indiscriminately.

Emmanuel reported a tense situation, stating, “They’ve begun targeting Nigerians here as a form of revenge.”

Peter Omoregbie, President of the Nigerian community in Libya, confirmed the arrests in a video and described the situation as dire, with even those holding valid passports being detained. He appealed to Nigerian authorities and international organizations for intervention, emphasizing that the arrests were not related to football and should not affect the local Nigerian community.

Another Nigerian, Omo Oba Legba, posted a video warning others to avoid public spaces as arrests intensified. He expressed frustration, saying, “If Nigeria was better, we wouldn’t be here in Libya facing this treatment.”

Similarly, a video shared by Libya’s INF.TV captured a Nigerian pleading with Libyan authorities to stop the arrests, urging them to separate the football dispute from the local community.