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The Libyan authorities have commenced the mass arrest of members of the Nigerian community in the North African country following a recent imbroglio between the two nations over a botched African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Recall that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) delivered a verdict on October 26, 2024, awarding the Nigerian men's senior national team, the Super Eagles, three points and three goals and handed a hefty fine to the Libyan football authorities over the incident that led to the termination of the game.
The verdict followed a complaint by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the inhumane treatment of the Super Eagles when they travelled to Libya for the all-important match.
The Nigerian football team was held 'hostage' at the Al-Abraq Airport in the eastern end of the country for over 20 hours upon arrival for the second leg of the game against The Mediterranean Knights.
The contingent's flight, scheduled to land in Benghazi, was rerouted by the Libyan authorities one hour before landing, to the Al-Abraq Airport, located 150 miles away from Benina, the venue of the game in.
Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, along with other team members, gave a minute-by-minute account of their ordeal during the trip, posting photos of them sleeping rough at the airport with no Libyan authority to receive them.
The incident sparked widespread outrage, prompting the NFF to withdraw the team from the game and immediately file an official complaint to the CAF.
CAF slams Libyan football authorities
In a ruling by the CAF disciplinary committee and signed by its Chairman, Ousmane Kane, the board held that the Libyan Football Federation breached Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
The committee also ordered the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) to pay a fine of $50,000 within 60 days of the notification of the decision.
However, the LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I described the verdict as "unjust and malicious,” alleging that the NFF’s influence within CAF played a major role in the outcome.
Al-Suwai’I was also quoted in a Libyan outlet, Libyan Observer, as saying the LFF would file an official appeal within hours and that if the appeal is denied, the body would resort to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to ensure “their legitimate rights are secured.”
Libyans call for Nigerians' arrest
Angered by the CAF verdict, the Libyans started mounting pressure on their authorities to go after undocumented Nigerians living in the country and force them to pay a fine.
In a post on its social media page last Sunday, a popular Libyan news blog, Libya News Today 1, said “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.
“The fine that Libya is accused of will be paid by Nigerian citizens who live in Libya. We have been subjected to injustice. We have no borders with Nigeria. What benefit are they to us? They’re a burden on the Libyan people. They have to go back home.”
The blog boasts more than 188,000 followers and 57,000 likes on Facebook.
In a video that accompanied the post, a Libyan TV presenter can be heard saying, “Anyone who is living in Libya and working without paying tax is eating haram, which means sinful money. The government should make every effort to arrest all Nigerians who are working in Libya so that they can pay a tax of $500 and regulate their stay in the country by obtaining residence permits.”
At the same time, Libya INF.TV, a news website reported that Libyan stations wanted the government to start arresting Nigerian workers.
“Those who don’t have Libyan papers will have to pay a fine of $500 for taxes. If you refuse deportation, no mercy. The Libyan government will pay the Nigerian government from their citizens’ money,” the post said.
Libya begins mass arrest of Nigerians
Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian living in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, said the arrests began on Sunday after the CAF verdict was publicised in the country.
“They have already started. The news came out on Saturday, and they were saying they couldn’t accept it and that they were not the ones who would pay the money. They have started proving this.
“Someone called me and said they had already begun arresting people in his area. The same thing is happening here in Tripoli. In some places, people were arrested on Sunday morning and afternoon. As I mentioned before, Libyans don’t hide their feelings. They believe that by doing this, they are getting their revenge,” Adenaike told Sunday Punch.
While confirming the development, the President of the Nigerian community in Libya, Peter Omoregbie, said an official report at the Libyan immigration office on Monday.
He disclosed this in a video shared by multiple Libya-based Nigerian blogs during the week.
“The arrests started on Sunday night in some areas in Teodora. They are arresting innocent people. They don’t even care whether you have passports or residence permits. They just don’t care, which doesn’t happen in other countries.”
When asked to provide background to the incident, Omoregbie said, “The football body is an association on its own, which the government isn’t supposed to interfere with according to CAF laws. There was a football match scheduled between Nigeria and Libya on October 15. Nigeria was supposed to arrive in Benghazi, but they were diverted to another state, so the match could not take place. The Nigerian football team then returned home. Since then, CAF has investigated the issue and set up a committee to find out what really happened.
“Yesterday, the verdict was issued that Libya has to pay a fine of $50,000 to CAF due to the way they treated the Nigerian football team. Now, on social media, Libyan journalists and numerous bloggers are saying that Nigeria will be made to pay the $50,000 fine by arresting all Nigerians in Libya. But in other countries, nothing like that happens.
“As the community leader, I received some videos showing that the arrests started last night in the Tedora area. They said the Libyan police have started arresting Nigerians, whether they have passports or not. Some of us are already afraid, calling everywhere to ask what to do. Sometimes, as community leaders, we are helpless. Even the Nigerian Embassy’s hands are sometimes tied. But international bodies need to intervene in this situation.”
On Thursday, INF.TV posted a video wherein a Nigerian can be seen pleading with the Libyan police to stop the indiscriminate arrests.
“Football has nothing to do with us. If you want to catch them, catch them when they come here. Leave us out of this. And to the Nigerian team, I don’t know what you’re thinking, coming here to play football with the Libyan people. You don’t have sense. Please, Libyan police, please,” he said.