The Nigerian government has denied alleged reports of mass arrests and harassment against its nationals residing in Libya, following recent sanctions imposed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against the national team.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, confirmed that Nigerians are safe in Libya, pledging the government’s commitment to protecting its citizens in the country.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to convey that as of the time of issuing this statement, Nigerians in Libya are carrying on with their daily activities, without any form of harassment by the Libyan authorities, following the CAF ruling that accused the Libyan Football Federation of mistreating the Nigerian team and officials while they were in Benghazi to participate in an African Cup of Nations qualifier match.”
It is worth noting that the CAF awarded the Nigerian team three points and considered Libya to have lost the match 0-3, and it fined Libya $50,000; for what was described as mistreatment of the Nigerian team during an African Cup of Nations qualifier match.
Following the ruling, reports emerged that Nigerians were being subjected to various forms of harassment in Libya. Some media outlets have called for Nigerians to be taxed so they can pay the fine imposed by the Confederation of African Football on the Libyan team. Some Nigerians residing in Libya have also alleged that they were being arbitrarily detained.
