Federal Government vows action against Côte d’Ivoire over Nigerian’s death in prison

The Federal Government has vowed to initiate a formal diplomatic action against the authorities in Côte d’Ivoire following the death of a Nigerian citizen, Usama Murtala, who died shortly after regaining his freedom after spending about one year in detention without trial.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in a statement posted on her verified X handle on Tuesday.

According to the minister, Murtala was among six young Nigerians from Sokoto State who travelled to Abidjan for a phone parts business but were arrested under what she described as suspicious circumstances and detained at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA) Prison without being charged or tried.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs only became aware of their detention in April 2026 and discovered that the Nigerian Mission in Abidjan had not been notified of the arrests by the Ivorian authorities.

“Their unfortunate circumstances was brought to my attention in April this year and when I contacted our Embassy in Abidjan, I was dismayed to discover that they had not even been notified of their arrest by the authorities there,” she said.

She explained that following sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the six detainees were eventually released.

“With sustained engagements by our Mission, and diplomatic interventions by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are happy to secure the release of these citizens,” the minister stated.

However, she said the development ended in tragedy as Murtala’s health had deteriorated significantly during his detention. According to her, officials of the Nigerian High Commission rushed him to a critical care hospital after his release, but he died the following morning.

“Our officers at the Nigeria High Commission made spirited efforts to save his life by rushing him to a Critical Care Hospital for treatment, but alas, it was too late for Usama. He died the next morning, far from home and family, oblivious to the fact that his mother and siblings in Sokoto were excitedly preparing for his return,” she said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that Murtala was buried in Abidjan in accordance with Islamic rites at the request of his family, with his fellow former detainees and officials of the Nigerian High Commission in attendance.

She identified the five surviving Nigerians as Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Lyman Mohammed, adding that arrangements had been concluded to return them to Nigeria.

The minister described Murtala’s death as a painful reminder of the risks many young Nigerians face while seeking better opportunities abroad.

“This is the reality many of our citizens face when they travel in search of greener pastures. Many are young people whose paths take unexpected and tragic turns,” she said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu added that the Federal Government would formally take up Murtala’s case with the Ivorian authorities.