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The Libyan Department for Combating Illegal Migration has deported seven Nigerians, three Bangladeshis and three Ghanaians for violating the country’s laws.
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The agency, in a post on X, said the suspects had been detained at the Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Centre before they were flown out of Libya via Benina International Airport in Benghazi.
This comes weeks after a disagreement between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) during a 2025 AFCON qualifier.
While the NFF claimed that their national team players were left stranded at an airport in Libya, the LFF responded with claims that similar treatment was meted out to their national team players in Nigeria.
Delivering a verdict, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said Libya breached Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the Caf Disciplinary Code.
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Libya was then punished by CAF, which awarded Nigeria a 3-0 win despite the game not holding because Nigeria abandoned the game.
Following the verdict, reports surfaced that Libyan authorities were carrying out a mass arrest of Nigerians living in their country.
This was swiftly denied by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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