The Libya authorities have begun mass arrests of Nigerians on the back of a CAF ruling that gave the Super Eagles a botched 2025 AFCON qualifier at the expense of the North Africans.
CAF also slammed a fine of $50,000 on the Libya Football Federation (LFF) after they held the Super Eagles hostage for 20 hours at an abandoned airport prior to the 2025 AFCON qualifier last month.
Libya have already filed an appeal against this ruling.
A local blog, Libya News Today 1, called on the government to apprehend undocumented Nigerian workers, proposing a $500 fine and appropriate taxation.
Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian living in Tripoli, confirmed to Sunday PUNCH that arrests had begun.
“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,” she reported.
She added, “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.”
Peter Omoregbie, President of the Nigerian community in Libya, verified the arrests in a video that was widely shared by several Libya-based Nigerian blogs last Monday.
This confirmation comes amidst rising tensions between Nigeria and Libya, after Nigerian football players were stranded at an airport in Libya for about 18 hours.
He said, “The arrests started on Sunday night in some areas in Tedora. 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.”
He linked the arrests to the recent face-off between the countries, especially following the CAF ruling which favoured Nigeria and imposed a fine against Libya.
He said, “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.”
