The Federal Government has received five Nigerians rescued from detention at the MACA Prison in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, following months of diplomatic engagement that secured their release.
The returnees were welcomed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, alongside the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, and other government officials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the returnees were identified as Malam Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello, Lyman Mohammed and Usama Murtala.
The statement, however, revealed that one of the six detainees died shortly after regaining his freedom.
According to the ministry, the group travelled by road from Sokoto to Abidjan in August 2025 for trading activities before they were arrested and imprisoned without being formally charged or tried.
The Federal Government only became aware of their detention in April 2026, prompting the Minister of Foreign Affairs to immediately direct the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan to intervene.
Persistent diplomatic engagements by the embassy and the ministry eventually led to their release.
The statement explained that, “one of the detainees, Usama Murtala, who reportedly became ill due to the harsh prison conditions and inadequate medical care, died at a Critical Care Hospital on June 24, 2026, a day after the group regained freedom.
“He was buried the following day in Côte d’Ivoire according to Islamic rites after consultations with his family in Sokoto.”
Speaking on the circumstances surrounding the incident, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigerian authorities had no prior knowledge of the men’s detention, a situation that delayed official intervention.
“There was no charge sheet. There was no trial. They were simply detained and taken to prison,” she said.
The minister attributed much of their ordeal to communication challenges, noting that their inability to speak French left them unable to explain their situation or obtain legal assistance in the French-speaking country.
“They could not speak English in an environment where French was spoken. They never really stood a chance.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the death of Usama Murtala as a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with irregular migration and the uncertainties many young Nigerians face while seeking opportunities abroad.
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“Many of our prisoners overseas are vulnerable young people who leave home in search of opportunity, caught in a web of judicial or unjust systems they do not fully grasp and are subsumed under its weight.
“Usama’s story remains a painful reminder of how fragile life can be for young people who set out on these journeys to unfamiliar environments with unfamiliar systems without knowing what awaits them.
“We will be taking up the case with the Ivorian authorities for compensation,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
She cautioned Nigerians against embarking on risky journeys in search of better opportunities, noting that many citizens currently imprisoned abroad were arrested while transiting through foreign countries.
The minister said the intervention reflected President Bola Tinubu’s citizen diplomacy policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the welfare and protection of Nigerians wherever they reside.
She also appealed to the Sokoto State Government to support the returnees through rehabilitation, skill acquisition and capacity-building programmes to help them recover from their experience and rebuild their lives.
According to her, the Federal Government has already written to the Sokoto State Government requesting assistance for the five returnees through appropriate rehabilitation initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Malami recounted that they travelled to Côte d’Ivoire for business but ended up spending months in detention under difficult conditions.
He said language barriers prevented them from explaining their situation to the authorities and expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for facilitating their release and safe return.
Before their departure to reunite with their families in Sokoto, the Minister of Foreign Affairs presented the returnees with support packages provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency and other government agencies.