Nigerians in Libya Face Mass Arrests Following CAF Ruling Favouring NFF

Nigerians living in Libya have reportedly become targets of mass arrests following a ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that favoured the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). The decision was linked to the recent detention of the Super Eagles at Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya, which delayed their participation in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The Nigerian team was held for over 20 hours after their flight, initially scheduled to land at Benghazi Airport, was redirected by Libyan authorities. This disruption led the NFF to withdraw from the match and file a complaint with CAF. The CAF disciplinary committee, chaired by Ousmane Kane, ruled that the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) violated tournament regulations. The ruling awarded Nigeria three points and three goals and imposed a $50,000 fine on the LFF, to be paid within 60 days.

LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I denounced the decision as unfair and politically influenced. He accused the NFF of leveraging its influence within CAF. Nasser also announced plans to appeal and hinted at escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary.

Following the CAF ruling, anti-Nigerian sentiment has intensified in Libya. A popular news blog, Libya News Today 1, posted a message urging the government to arrest Nigerian workers without valid documentation and impose fines of $500 plus taxes on them. The blog suggested that the fines imposed on the LFF would be recouped from the Nigerian community, which it labelled a burden on Libyan society.

Libyan TV broadcasts have echoed these sentiments, showing reports and commentary supporting stricter measures against undocumented Nigerians.

A video of a TV presenter circulated online, stating, “Anyone living in Libya and working without paying tax is earning haram, or sinful money. The government should act to arrest all Nigerians working illegally.”

These developments have raised fears within the Nigerian community in Libya, who now face the risk of fines, mass detentions, and potential deportations amid growing hostility.

The Punch reported that a Nigerian resident in Tripoli, Adenaike Emmanuel, confirmed that the arrests had started.

They have already started. The news came out on Saturday, and they were saying they can’t accept it and that they are not the ones who will 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 stated.

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