The Federal Government has demanded an explanation from Côte d’Ivoire over the death of a 24-year-old Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, who died after being detained in an Ivorian prison.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, summoned the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, to her office on Friday and called for compensation for the deceased’s family. She also sought answers on why Nigerian authorities were not notified of the detention, which she said delayed diplomatic intervention.
Usama and five other young men from Sokoto — Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed — were arrested in Abidjan last August while on a trading trip. They were held in MACA Prison without charge or trial, and were released recently after sustained engagement by the Nigerian Mission.
Receiving the five survivors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Tuesday night, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the men faced language barriers and lacked legal representation in the French-speaking country. She added that their phones, goods, money and other property were not returned after release.
The minister said the returnees had gone back to Sokoto and urged the Ivorian envoy to convey Nigeria’s demand for a proper investigation to Abidjan. She also extracted a commitment that Côte d’Ivoire would treat Nigerian nationals with dignity going forward.
