Nigerians in Libya lament increased maltreatment after S’Eagles 20-hour grueling airport detention

Days after the cancellation of the second leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Libya’s national team, members of the Nigerian community in Libya have lamented maltreatment in the country.

The Nigerian contingent was held at the Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya for over 20 hours upon arrival on Sunday, following their earlier 1-0 victory in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

The team was scheduled to land at the Benghazi Airport and travel for nearly four hours by road to Benina, where the match was to be played.

However, less than an hour before landing, the Tunisian pilot flying the plane reportedly received a directive from “Libya’s highest authorities” to divert the flight to Al-Abraq Airport, located 150 miles away from the destination.

The development sparked widespread outrage, forcing the Nigerian Football Federation to withdraw the Super Eagles from the qualifying match.

The National Assembly condemned the Libyan government for subjecting the Nigerian team to dehumanising treatment and called for stiff penalties for the Libyan authorities.

The Libyan government had claimed that its national team faced similar maltreatment on Nigerian soil before the first leg of the game.

In separate interviews with Newsmen, members of the Nigerian community in Libya said there had been increased maltreatment of Nigerians after the incident.

Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian living in Tripoli, the country’s capital, said, “For those of us who have been in the country, we know them. Libyans always one you to feel pain. They said what happened to their players in Nigeria was intentional, and they vowed to revenge. They called it ‘an eye for an eye.’ So, what the Libyan government did to the Super Eagles was intentional. Moreover, 95 per cent of their citizens supported it. We saw the reports on their blogs, Facebook posts, and news platforms. It was very clear that the people supported it. And that is how they behave.

“Since the game was cancelled, their maltreatment of Nigerians has not changed. They don’t like us; the inhuman treatment has worsened. That’s why many Nigerians here are battling depression.

“Libyans don’t value us. They just enter our houses, round people up, and take them to prison. Many Nigerians are currently languishing in prisons across Libya without having committed any offence. Most times, we complain to the Nigerian embassy, but nothing tangible happens.”

The International Organisation for Migration has facilitated the return of thousands of Nigerians from Libya in recent years.

In 2024 alone, no fewer than 2,467 Nigerians were evacuated from the North African country after being stranded. Many of the victims, particularly ladies, usually return with tales of abuse and maltreatment.

The president of the Nigerian community, Peter Omoregbie, said since the failed game with the Super Eagles, Libyans had continued with their harsh treatment of Nigerians in the country.

He said, “As foreigners in this country, there is a way they maltreat us. The Libyans act as if Nigerians don’t exist at all. Since the match was cancelled, the situation has not changed.”

Omoregbie said before the Super Eagles left Nigeria, the Libyans had already threatened to treat the team poorly upon arrival.

“The news had spread all over Libya before the Super Eagles left Nigeria. All the local Libyan news outlets reported it. Their blogs also widely shared the news. They claimed the NFF purposely made the Libyan national team players endure physical discomfort so they could be weak before the match and unable to either draw or win against the Nigerian team.

“The Libyans’ game plan for the two-leg matches was to draw with the Super Eagles in Nigeria then win at home. They saw the Nigerian game as their last hope for qualification. But their loss fuelled their resolve to seek revenge.

“So, before the Nigerian team arrived, it was common knowledge that the Libyan national team was maltreated in Nigeria, and they planned to make the Super Eagles experience the same treatment on Libyan soil,” Omoregbie added.

When asked if the incident would impact diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said, “Libya doesn’t always fulfill its diplomatic obligations to other countries. I’m telling you the truth. For instance, if you leave this country, there is no way they will allow you to return. That has been the ordeal we face here.”

Similarly, a former Secretary of the Nigerian community in Libya, Mr Ukpong Christian, noted that it had been difficult for Nigerians to integrate into Libyan society because the country was not friendly.

“Before the Nigerian team landed, the Libyans had already made plans, spreading it across blogs, news platforms, and Facebook pages, saying that because their national team was treated badly in Nigeria, the Nigerian team would experience worse when they came. So, it was a concerted and intentional effort. And since the game was cancelled, Nigerians have continued to receive the usual inhuman treatment from their Libyan masters,” he lamented.

Efforts by newsmen to speak to the Libyan embassy in Abuja proved abortive.

A representative of the embassy, identified by TrueCaller as Rose, declined comment, saying she was not authorised to speak on the matter.