Nigeria demands explanation from Côte d’Ivoire over death of citizen in detention

The Federal Government has demanded a full explanation from the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire over the death of a 24-year-old Nigerian, Usama Murtala, who reportedly died after spending months in detention without trial in an Ivorian prison.

Nigeria also called for compensation for the deceased’s family, describing the circumstances surrounding his detention and death as unacceptable.

The demand was made on Friday by Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a meeting with Kalilou Traore,  Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to a statement issued by Magnus Eze, Minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, the minister summoned the envoy to seek clarification over the circumstances that led to Murtala’s death following his prolonged incarceration at the MACA Prison in Abidjan.

The deceased was among six young Nigerians from Sokoto State who travelled by road to Abidjan in August 2025 for a trading trip.

The group, comprising Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed, was arrested shortly after arriving in Côte d’Ivoire and allegedly detained without charge or trial.

The five surviving traders were recently released following sustained diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian Mission in Abidjan and interventions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja earlier this week before returning to Sokoto State.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu questioned why Nigerian authorities were never informed of the arrest and detention of the citizens, a development she said delayed diplomatic intervention.

She noted that the traders had travelled to Côte d’Ivoire solely for legitimate business and were further disadvantaged by language barriers in the French-speaking country, which prevented them from effectively communicating or obtaining legal representation.

According to the minister, the detainees endured harsh conditions during their incarceration.

“These young men were simply detained and taken to prison.

“For these months, they had poor nutrition as they were fed once a day. Two of them were critically ill and one eventually died. Nobody could give reasons why they were arrested and detained for so long without trial or charge”, she said.

The minister also alleged that mobile phones, money, goods and other personal belongings seized from the traders at the time of their arrest had not been returned despite their release.

She said the Federal Government expects the Ivorian authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure such occurrences do not happen again.

“It’s important that we communicate this to you. They have gone back to Sokoto, their state of origin, but the sad memory of the death of their colleague will linger”, she told the ambassador.

She urged the envoy to convey Nigeria’s concerns to the authorities in Abidjan, stressing that any future issues involving Nigerian citizens should immediately be communicated to the Nigerian Embassy.

“We want you to communicate this to the authorities in Abidjan. This should be properly investigated; it should be probed.

“And anytime there are issues involving our nationals, the Embassy in Abidjan should be informed. We are aware of what language barriers could cause.

“So, we seek compensation for the dead young man’s family and a commitment that Côte d’Ivoire will, going forward, treat our nationals with dignity”, she added.

Responding, Traore conveyed the condolences of the Ivorian Government to the family of the deceased and to Nigeria.

He assured the minister that he would immediately relay the Federal Government’s concerns and requests to the authorities in Abidjan for appropriate action.