The Federal Government has vowed to seek compensation from Côte d’Ivoire after one Nigerian died in detention, while five others were freed after months in prison without charge or trial.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, received the five returnees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday, alongside NOA DG, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and other officials.
According to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communication, Magnus Eze, the six young men includes Malam Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello, Lyman Mohammed and Usama Murtala who left Sokoto for Abidjan in August 2025 on a trading trip.
They were arrested on arrival and detained at MACA Prison without any charge sheet or court appearance.
“The Nigerian authorities only became aware of their plight in April 2026,” the statement said. Odumegwu-Ojukwu immediately directed the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan to intervene. Sustained diplomatic pressure eventually secured their release.
Usama Murtala, 25, fell ill due to harsh prison conditions and poor medical care.
He died at a Critical Care Hospital in Abidjan on June 24, 2026, a day after release.
He was buried in Côte d’Ivoire the following day in line with Islamic rites, after consultations with his family in Sokoto.
“There was no charge sheet. There was no trial. They were simply detained and taken to prison,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
She blamed language barriers for their ordeal. “They could not speak English in an environment where French was spoken. They never really stood a chance.”
Describing Usama’s death as “painful,” the minister said it exposed the dangers facing young Nigerians who travel irregularly for greener pastures.
“We will be taking up the case with the Ivorian authorities for compensation,” she declared, adding that the FG had written to the Sokoto State Government to rehabilitate the five survivors through skills and capacity-building programmes.
Speaking for the group, Malami said they went to Côte d’Ivoire for business but spent months in “difficult conditions” because they could not explain themselves in French. He thanked the government for securing their release.
The returnees were handed support packages from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NEMA before being reunited with their families in Sokoto.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the intervention aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Citizen Diplomacy’ policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
