Nigerians in Libya are facing illegal arrests and exploitation by the Libyan government, following a recent verdict by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in response to mistreatment of the Nigerian football team.
According to a report by Libya News Today, members of the Nigerian community have reported mass arrests and fines in the country.
The Nigerian football team, Super Eagles, faced a 20-hour detention at Al-Abraq Airport, leading to the withdrawal from a match against Libya’s national team.
In its ruling, CAF awarded Nigeria three points and three goals for the abandoned match, citing violations of regulations by the Libyan Football Federation.
The LFF was also fined $50,000, a decision criticised by LFF President, Nasser Al-Suwai’I as unjust.
The situation has escalated with Libyan TV channels urging the government to arrest Nigerian workers without legal papers, imposing fines of $500 plus taxes.
The Nigerian community in Libya, led by Peter Omoregbie, has raised concerns over indiscriminate arrests, calling for international intervention.
Omoregbie highlighted the impact on innocent Nigerians, emphasising the need for the Nigerian government to address the situation.
He appealed for support, stating, “If Nigeria was good, we wouldn’t have come to Libya to suffer.”
