The Nigerian Government has secured the release and return of five Nigerians who were detained without trial in Côte d’Ivoire for nearly a year, while announcing plans to seek compensation from the Ivorian authorities following the death of a sixth detainee shortly after his release.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Magnus Eze, the returnees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu alongside Lanre Issa-Onilu and other government officials.
The five returnees — Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Lyman Mohammed — were among six young men from Sokoto State who travelled by road to Côte d’Ivoire on a trading trip in August 2025. They were arrested and detained in the MACA Prison in Abidjan without being charged or tried.
Eze said that”the Ministry of Foreign Affairs only became aware of their detention in April 2026, prompting the Minister to direct the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan to intervene.”
He noted that sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eventually secured their release.
However, one of the detainees, Usama Murtala, who became seriously ill while in prison due to poor medical attention, died at a critical care hospital on June 24, 2026, a day after regaining his freedom.
He was buried in Côte d’Ivoire in accordance with Islamic rites after consultations with his family in Sokoto.
Speaking at the reception, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said that”the Nigerian Authorities were not informed of the men’s detention, delaying diplomatic 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 language barriers in the French-speaking country.
“They could not speak English in an environment where French was spoken. They never really stood a chance,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu described Usama’s death as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by many young Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad through irregular migration.
“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.” She said
The Minister disclosed that the Nigerian Government would pursue compensation from the Ivorian authorities over the circumstances surrounding Usama’s death.
“We will be taking up the case with the Ivorian authorities for compensation,” the Minister said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also cautioned Nigerians against embarking on risky journeys abroad in search of greener pastures, noting that many Nigerians imprisoned overseas were intercepted while transiting through foreign countries.
She said the intervention reflected the Nigerian Government’s citizen diplomacy policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises the welfare and protection of Nigerians wherever they may be.
The Minister appealed to the Sokoto State Government to provide rehabilitation and skills acquisition opportunities for the five returnees, disclosing that the Nigerian Government had already written to the state government requesting support to help them rebuild their lives after months of hardship and trauma.
One of the returnees, Aliyu Malami, thanked the Nigerian government for securing their freedom and facilitating their return home, saying “he intends to rebuild his life and continue with legitimate business.”
The returnees also received relief packages from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency and other government agencies before departing to reunite with their families in Sokoto.
