The Federal Government has summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, to demand an explanation over the death of a Nigerian citizen, Usama Murtala, while in detention in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, raised the matter during a meeting with the envoy at her office in Abuja on Friday.
A statement issued by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communications and New Media, Magnus Eze, said the meeting followed the recent release of five other Nigerians who were detained alongside the deceased in Abidjan.
According to the statement, Murtala and five others—Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed—travelled by road from Sokoto to Abidjan on a trading trip in August 2025 before they were arrested and detained at the MACA Prison without being charged or tried.
The ministry said the five surviving Nigerians regained their freedom after sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu faulted the failure of the Ivorian authorities to notify the Nigerian Government of the arrest and detention of its citizens, saying the omission delayed diplomatic intervention.
She described the detainees as traders whose inability to communicate effectively because of language barriers compounded their ordeal, adding that they were denied access to legal representation throughout their detention.
According to the minister, the detainees endured harsh conditions, including poor feeding, as they were reportedly served only one meal daily.
She disclosed that two of the six Nigerians became critically ill while in custody, with Murtala eventually dying before diplomatic efforts secured the release of the others.
Responding, the Ivorian ambassador conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Nigerian Government, assuring the minister that the concerns raised would be promptly communicated to the authorities in Abidjan for appropriate action.