By Mark Lenu
Some residents in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital are not happy over the news of ill-treatment meted out to Nigerians living in Libya by the Libyan citizens who are angered over the way the Super Eagles pulled out of the match between both countries.
The report had it that 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 are lamenting maltreatment in the country.
The Nigerian 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 Libyan government had claimed that its national team faced similar maltreatment on Nigerian soil before the first leg of the game.
Following the report of the ill-treatment of Nigerians in Libya, residents of Rivers State urged President Bola Tinubu to wade into the situation and protect the safety of Nigerians living in Libya or evacuate them.
“We wouldn’t want our citizens to suffer ill-treatment in Libya over football match disagreements between both countries. The Nigerian government should look into the situation and do something very fast to protect the safety of our citizens in Libya.
“And if this maltreatment of Nigerians continues in Libya, the best thing the Nigerian government should do is to evacuate all Nigerians from Libya immediately,” they said.
