The Federal Government has demanded answers from Côte d’Ivoire over the death of a Nigerian citizen, Usama Murtala, while in detention, summoning the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, for an explanation.
The Federal Government on Friday summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, to explain the circumstances surrounding the death of a Nigerian citizen, Usama Murtala, who died while in detention in Côte d’Ivoire.
The issue was raised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a meeting with the envoy at her office in Abuja.
The meeting came shortly after five Nigerians who had been detained alongside the deceased were released and returned to Nigeria.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communications and New Media, Magnus Eze, the six Nigerians had travelled from Sokoto to Abidjan by road for business in August 2025.
They were subsequently arrested and held at the MACA Prison without being charged or brought before a court.
The five surviving detainees—Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed—were recently released following sustained diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu faulted the failure of the Ivorian authorities to notify Nigerian officials about the arrest and detention of the citizens, saying the omission delayed diplomatic intervention.
She noted that the men were traders whose inability to communicate because of language barriers worsened their situation, adding that they were denied access to legal representation throughout their detention.
“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 lamented.
The minister also expressed concern that the traders had yet to recover their phones, merchandise, money and other personal belongings confiscated at the time of their arrest, despite having regained their freedom.
While informing the envoy that the five survivors had returned to Sokoto State, she insisted that the death of Murtala must be fully investigated.
She said, “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.
“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.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu had earlier received the five freed Nigerians at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday night, where she disclosed that the Federal Government would pursue compensation from the Ivorian authorities for Murtala’s family.
Responding to the concerns, Traore conveyed his condolences to the deceased’s family and the Nigerian government, assuring the minister that he would immediately relay the Federal Government’s position to the authorities in Abidjan.