Libya Begins Mass Arrest, Taxation And Deportation Of Nigerians After CAF Ruling

Nigerians living in Libya are reportedly facing mass arrest, taxation, and deportation following a ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The crackdown came after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) filed a complaint about the Super Eagles’ rough experience during their recent visit to Libya.

KanyiDaily had reported how the Nigerian team faced severe travel disruptions, including over 18 hours of delays and a rerouted flight, during a trip for a return leg match.

CAF subsequently awarded three goals and three points to Nigeria and fined Libya $50,000.

Libyan media has since called for undocumented Nigerians in Libya to be arrested and detained, claiming they should bear the burden of the fine.

Popular Libyan blog “Libya News Today 1, which has a significant online following, urged authorities to fine and tax undocumented Nigerians.

The post reads, “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 post was accompanied by a video of a Libyan TV presenter, who said, “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.”

A Libyan news site, “Libya INF.TV”, reported similar sentiments, with stations urging authorities to detain Nigerian workers without legal papers.

“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 reads.

Speaking to PUNCH on Sunday, a Nigerian resident in Tripoli, Adenaike Emmanuel said arrests began shortly after CAF’s decision was announced.

Emmanuel said, “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.”

Peter Omoregbie, president of the Nigerian community in Libya, confirmed these reports in a video shared by Nigeria-focused blogs.

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.”

Omoregbie explained that CAF had penalized Libya after an investigation into the Super Eagles’ disrupted trip. However, Libyan social media reacted by insisting that Nigerians should “pay” the fine through targeted arrests.

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.”

Other Nigerian residents have also shared accounts of increased arrests, with one resident, Omo Oba Legba, cautioning Nigerians to stay indoors.

In a Facebook video posted on Wednesday, he said, “My Arab master, who is a policeman, just called me now and told me not to go out to buy anything because they have started arresting Nigerians in Libya. I asked him, ‘What about those with Libyan passports?’ But he said they aren’t considering passports and that anyone who is Nigerian will be arrested. That’s why I decided to alert our people so they know how far this issue has gone.

“The Super Eagles had what they needed to and returned. They got their money, whether they won or not. But see the problem they’ve caused for us. If Nigeria was good, we wouldn’t have come to Libya to suffer. The Nigerian team only faced a day of hardship—what about other Nigerians here who face the same treatment every day? My Arab told me that until the CAF fine is overturned, they won’t stop arresting Nigerians. Please, we appeal to the Nigerian government to come to our aid.”

Similarly, Libya INF.TV posted a video on Thursday where a Nigerian pleaded with the Libyan police to stop the indiscriminate arrests.

He said, “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.”

Ahmed Hamza, head of the National Institution for Human Rights in Libya, warned authorities against retaliating against foreign workers, particularly Nigerians, and cautioned that such actions could lead to international consequences.

“We warn against any form of retaliation against foreign and migrant workers in Libya, especially Nigerian workers, by security forces, armed groups, or citizens,” Hamza stated.

Former Nigerian ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode called for a formal complaint to the African Union if evidence of mistreatment is verified. He also advised Nigerians in Libya to stay cautious during this tense period.

He said, “The Nigerian government doesn’t have hardcore evidence, and if they do, they should report Libya to the African Union. If Nigerians collate evidence of the maltreatment, the Federal Government can protest directly to the Libyan government over what Nigerians are facing.”

Amedu-Ode further advised Nigerians in the Arab country to keep low profiles until the situation was under control.

“If the atmosphere is too hot for them, they should leave Libya,” he added.

KanyiDaily recalls that Libyan Football Federation (LFF) had threatened to take legal action over Nigeria’s decision to pull out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against its national team.