FG Summons Ivorian Envoy Over Nigerian Citizen's Death in Abidjan Prison

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has summoned Côte d'Ivoire's Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, demanding an explanation for the death of Nigerian citizen Usama Murtala while in custody. The minister also requested compensation for Murtala's family.

Murtala and five other Nigerians were arrested in August last year during a trading trip from Sokoto to Abidjan. They were detained in the MACA Prison without charge or trial for months. The five surviving Nigerians were recently released following diplomatic interventions by the Nigerian Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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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.

During the meeting, Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu questioned why Nigerian authorities were not informed of the detention, which delayed diplomatic intervention. She highlighted that the detained traders, facing language barriers and lacking legal representation, suffered from poor nutrition, being fed only once a day. Two of them became critically ill, leading to Murtala's death.

"Nobody could give reasons why they were arrested and detained for so long without trial or charge," the minister stated. She also noted that the traders' seized belongings, including phones, goods, and money, have not been returned. The survivors have returned to Sokoto, but the circumstances of Murtala's death require a thorough investigation. Nigeria seeks compensation for the family and a pledge from Côte d'Ivoire to treat Nigerian nationals with dignity going forward.

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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.