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No Harassment Of Nigerians In Libya Over CAF Verdict – FG

Published

2 months ago

Nov 4, 2024.

The Federal Government has dismissed reports claiming that Nigerians in Libya are being harassed and mistreated following the recent ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which awarded three points and fined Libya $50,000 after a disrupted AFCON 2025 qualifier against the Super Eagles.

Rumors had circulated that Libyan authorities were retaliating by arresting and mistreating Nigerians in Libya, allegedly due to CAF’s decision favoring Nigeria.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that however, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified in a statement on Sunday that these allegations are unfounded. Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, spokesperson for the Ministry, stated that reports indicate Nigerians in Libya are carrying on with their regular activities without interference or harassment.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to convey that, as of the time of making this statement, Nigerians in Libya are going about their daily activities, devoid of any form of harassment by Libyan authorities,” the statement read. It emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its citizens abroad.

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The incident leading to CAF’s ruling involved the Nigerian Super Eagles, who were detained at Al-Abraq Airport for over 20 hours before their scheduled AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya.

Following this ordeal, the team returned to Nigeria without playing the match. After an investigation, CAF’s disciplinary committee held the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) accountable for several regulatory breaches, awarding Nigeria the match points and imposing fines on Libya.