The Federal Government has summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria following the death of a Nigerian citizen, Usama Murtala, after months of detention in Côte d’Ivoire.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding Murtala’s death and demanded compensation for his family.
Murtala was among six young Nigerians from Sokoto State who traveled to Abidjan in August 2025 for business but were arrested and held at MACA Prison without charge or trial.
After months of diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian government, the detainees were released in June 2026. However, Murtala, who had fallen seriously ill in custody, died at a hospital in Abidjan a day after regaining his freedom.
The five other detainees have since returned to Nigeria and reunited with their families.
During a meeting with the Ivorian envoy, Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the incident as unacceptable, noting that some of the survivors were left in critical condition due to poor treatment and malnutrition.
She also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad and called for accountability from Ivorian authorities.
