The Federal Government has secured the release of five Nigerians who had been detained for months in a prison in Côte d’Ivoire, although one of the detainees died shortly after regaining his freedom….
The Federal Government has secured the release of five Nigerians who had been detained for months in a prison in Côte d’Ivoire, although one of the detainees died shortly after regaining his freedom.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed the development in an emotional statement on her X handle on Tuesday, describing the incident as a heartbreaking reminder of the plight of many Nigerians imprisoned abroad.
According to the minister, the young men, all in their twenties, had travelled by road from Sokoto to Abidjan to trade in mobile phone parts when they were arrested under what she described as suspicious circumstances.
She said they had been held at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA) prison since last year without being charged or tried.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan was unaware of their detention until the matter was brought to her attention in April.
She expressed concern that the embassy had not been formally notified of the arrests by the Ivorian authorities.
The minister said sustained diplomatic engagement by the Nigerian Mission in Abidjan and interventions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eventually secured the release of the detainees.
However, one of them, Usama Murtala, who had fallen seriously ill while in detention, died a day after his release despite efforts by officials of the Nigerian High Commission to save his life.
She said embassy officials rushed him to a critical care hospital immediately after his release, but he succumbed to his illness the following morning.
According to the minister, Usama’s family in Sokoto had been preparing to welcome him home, unaware that he would never return.
Following the wishes of his family, he was buried on the outskirts of Abidjan in accordance with Islamic rites, with his fellow former detainees and officials of the Nigerian High Commission in attendance.
https://x.com/Ojukwu_Bianca/status/2071900308914004022?s=20
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the five surviving Nigerians — Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Lyman Mohammed — are being repatriated to Nigeria, where they will be received by government officials.
She described Usama’s death as a painful symbol of the risks faced by many young Nigerians who leave the country in search of better economic opportunities but become trapped in unfamiliar legal systems abroad.
The minister said the Federal Government would take up Usama’s case with the Ivorian authorities while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to protecting its citizens overseas through diplomatic engagement and consular support.
She also urged Nigerians travelling abroad in search of greener pastures to remain mindful of the risks of operating in unfamiliar environments and legal systems.
