FG probes Nigerian’s death in Ivorian prison

Nigeria's Federal Government has summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to demand an explanation regarding the death of Nigerian citizen Usama Murtala while in custody in Côte d’Ivoire. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, met with Ambassador Kalilou Traore in Abuja to address the incident.

“

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.

Murtala and five other Nigerians, Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello, and Liman Mohammed, traveled to Abidjan for a trading trip in August 2025. They were subsequently arrested and detained at the MACA Prison without being charged or brought to trial. The five surviving Nigerians were recently released following diplomatic interventions by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“

Nobody could give reasons why they were arrested and detained for so long without trial or charge.

Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concern over the lack of notification to Nigerian authorities regarding the detention, which she stated delayed diplomatic intervention. She highlighted that the detained traders faced language barriers, preventing effective communication, and had no access to legal representation. "These young men were simply detained and taken to prison," she stated, adding that they endured poor nutrition and that two fell critically ill, leading to Murtala's death.

“

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.

Nigeria is seeking compensation for Murtala's family and a commitment from Côte d’Ivoire to treat Nigerian nationals with dignity. The Minister also noted that the survivors' seized belongings have not yet been returned. The Nigerian government insists that the circumstances surrounding Murtala's death must be thoroughly investigated.

“

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.