The Federal Government has summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, over the death of a Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, while in custody in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, raised the matter during a meeting with the envoy at her office in Abuja on Friday, following the recent release of five other Nigerians who were detained alongside the deceased in Abidjan.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Assistant on Communications and New Media to the minister, Magnus Eze.
Murtala and five other Nigerians — Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed — had travelled by road from Sokoto State to Abidjan on a trading trip in August 2025 when they were arrested and detained at the MACA Prison.
According to the Federal Government, the men were held for months without charge or trial.
The five surviving Nigerians were recently released after sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission in Côte d’Ivoire and interventions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting with the Ivorian envoy, Odumegwu-Ojukwu questioned why Nigerian authorities were not notified when the six citizens were arrested and detained.
She said the failure to inform Nigeria’s embassy in Abidjan delayed diplomatic intervention and worsened the condition of the detainees.
The minister described the affected Nigerians as traders, adding that their inability to communicate effectively due to language barriers further complicated their ordeal.
She also said they had no access to legal representation while in 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 said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also complained that the phones, goods, money and other personal belongings seized from the traders at the time of their arrest had not been returned to them despite their release.
She informed the ambassador that the five survivors had returned to Sokoto State but insisted that the circumstances surrounding Murtala’s death must be thoroughly investigated.
According to her, the death of the Nigerian while in custody remains a serious concern to the Federal Government.
“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,” the minister said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu had earlier received the five released Nigerians at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday night, where she indicated that the Federal Government would take up the issue with Ivorian authorities and seek compensation for the deceased’s family.
Responding, Traore expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Nigerian government.
He assured the minister that he would immediately convey Nigeria’s concerns to the authorities in Abidjan.
The Federal Government is now demanding a full explanation of the circumstances that led to Murtala’s detention and death, the return of the survivors’ seized belongings, compensation for the deceased’s family and a commitment that Nigerians in Côte d’Ivoire will be treated with dignity and accorded consular protection whenever they are arrested or detained.
