The Federal Government has demanded compensation from the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire following the death of a 24-year-old Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, who died after being detained in the country’s prison.
The government also sought an explanation from the Ivorian authorities over the circumstances surrounding Murtala’s death and questioned why Nigerian officials were not informed of his detention, a development it said delayed diplomatic intervention.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the demands on Friday when she summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, to her office in Abuja.
Murtala was among six young Nigerian traders from Sokoto State who travelled by road to Abidjan in August 2025 for business.
The group, comprising Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed, was arrested and detained at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA) prison without charge or trial.
While the five surviving traders were recently released following sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission in Côte d’Ivoire and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Murtala died while in custody.
Receiving the five survivors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, earlier in the week, Odumegwu-Ojukwu had assured them that the Federal Government would pursue the matter with the Ivorian authorities and seek compensation for Murtala’s family.
During the meeting with the ambassador, the minister described the traders as young businessmen who had merely travelled to Côte d’Ivoire for legitimate commercial activities but were unable to effectively communicate because of language barriers.
She added that they were also denied access to legal representation during their detention.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further complained that the traders’ mobile phones, goods, money and other personal belongings seized at the time of their arrest had not been returned despite their release.
She informed the envoy that the five survivors had since returned to their home state of Sokoto and urged him to convey Nigeria’s concerns to the authorities in Abidjan.
The minister called for a thorough investigation into the incident and sought assurances that Nigerian citizens in Côte d’Ivoire would henceforth be treated with dignity and in accordance with international standards.