One Dies As FG Secures Release Of Five Nigerians Detained In Côte d’Ivoire Prison

June 30 () — The Federal Government has secured the release of five Nigerians who had spent several months in detention in Côte d’Ivoire, but one of them died shortly after regaining his freedom.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed the development on Tuesday in a statement posted on her X handle, describing the incident as a heartbreaking reminder of the challenges faced by many Nigerians who travel abroad in search of better economic opportunities.

According to the minister, the young men, all in their twenties, had travelled by road from Sokoto to Abidjan to trade in mobile phone parts when they were arrested under what she described as suspicious circumstances.

She said they were detained at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA) prison since last year without being formally charged or brought before a court.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concern that the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan was unaware of the detention until the matter was brought to her attention in April, noting that the Ivorian authorities had failed to notify the mission of the arrests in line with established diplomatic and consular procedures.

She explained that sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission in Abidjan, backed by interventions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eventually secured the release of the detainees after months in custody.

However, one of the freed Nigerians, Usama Murtala, who had become critically ill during his incarceration, died less than 24 hours after regaining his freedom despite emergency medical intervention.

The minister said officials of the Nigerian High Commission immediately rushed him to a critical care hospital upon his release, but he succumbed to his illness the following morning.

She described the incident as particularly devastating, noting that Usama’s family in Sokoto had been preparing to welcome him home, unaware that he would never return alive.

In accordance with the wishes of his family, the deceased was buried on the outskirts of Abidjan in line with Islamic rites. Officials of the Nigerian High Commission and his fellow former detainees attended the burial.

The surviving Nigerians were identified as Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Lyman Mohammed.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said arrangements had been concluded for their repatriation to Nigeria, where they would be received by relevant government authorities.

She described Usama’s death as a painful symbol of the risks many young Nigerians face after leaving the country in search of greener pastures, only to become trapped in unfamiliar legal systems without adequate support.

The minister said the Federal Government would formally engage the Ivorian authorities over the circumstances surrounding Usama’s detention and death while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad through robust diplomatic engagement and consular assistance.

She also urged Nigerians intending to travel overseas for business or economic opportunities to acquaint themselves with the laws of their host countries and exercise caution to avoid running afoul of unfamiliar legal systems.