The Federal Government has demanded compensation from Côte d’Ivoire following the death of 24-year-old Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, while in detention in an Abidjan prison.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, summoned Kalilou Traore, the Ivorian ambassador to Nigeria, on Friday to address the incident.
Usama and five other Nigerians — Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed — reportedly travelled from Sokoto to Abidjan by road for business in August 2025 but were arrested and detained in MACA Prison without formal charges or trial.
The five surviving detainees were recently released after diplomatic interventions by the Nigerian Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During a meeting with the Ivorian envoy, Odumegwu-Ojukwu questioned why Nigerian authorities were not informed about the detention, a delay she said hindered timely diplomatic intervention.
She described the group as traders on a legitimate business trip who struggled with language barriers and lacked access to legal representation in the French-speaking country.
“These young men were simply detained and taken to prison,” the minister said.
“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.”
The minister also raised concerns over the failure to return the traders’ phones, goods, money and other personal belongings after their release.
She said the survivors have returned to Sokoto, but the loss of their colleague remains deeply painful.
“We want you to communicate this to the authorities in Abidjan,” she said.
“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.”
In response, the Ivorian ambassador expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and assured Nigerian authorities that their concerns would be conveyed to officials in Abidjan without delay.