By Favour Ulebor, Abuja
The Federal Government has secured the release of five Nigerians who were detained for about 10 months in MACA Prison, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, following diplomatic intervention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by her Special Assistant on Communication, Magnus Eze, after receiving the five returnees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The returnees—Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Lyman Mohammed—arrived in Abuja on Tuesday evening.
They were among six Nigerians who travelled by road from Sokoto State to Abidjan in August 2025 on a trading trip but were arrested and detained without charge or trial.
The ministry, however, disclosed that one of the detainees, Usama Murtala, died shortly after regaining his freedom.
According to the statement, the minister directed the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan to intervene immediately after she was informed of their detention in April this year.
It said sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission in Côte d’Ivoire and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eventually secured the release of the six Nigerians.
However, Murtala reportedly fell ill while in detention due to inadequate medical care and died at a critical care hospital on June 24, 2026, one day after the group was released by the Ivorian authorities.
He was buried the following day in accordance with Islamic rites after consultations with his family in Sokoto State.
Speaking during the reception for the returnees, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Nigerian authorities were initially unaware of their detention, which delayed diplomatic intervention.
“There was no charge sheet. There was no trial. They were simply detained and taken to prison,” she said.
The minister attributed much of their ordeal to language barriers, noting that the men could neither communicate effectively nor access legal representation in the French-speaking country.
“They could not speak English in an environment where French was spoken. They never really stood a chance.
“Many of our prisoners overseas are vulnerable young people who leave home in search of opportunity, caught in a web of judicial or unjust systems they do not fully grasp and are subsumed under its weight.
“Usama’s story remains a painful reminder of how fragile life can be for young people who set out on these journeys to unfamiliar environments with unfamiliar systems without knowing what awaits them.
“We will be taking up the case with the Ivorian authorities for compensation,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu cautioned Nigerians against undertaking risky journeys abroad in search of better opportunities, noting that many Nigerians imprisoned overseas were arrested while transiting through foreign countries.
She said the government’s intervention was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Citizen Diplomacy initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the welfare and protection of Nigerians wherever they may be.
The minister also appealed to the Sokoto State Government to provide rehabilitation and skills acquisition opportunities for the five returnees.
She disclosed that the Federal Government had written to the state government, requesting support through capacity-building programmes to help the young men rebuild their lives after their ordeal.
Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Aliyu Malami said he travelled to Côte d’Ivoire for business but ended up spending several months in detention under difficult conditions.
He said language barriers prevented them from explaining their situation to the authorities and thanked the Federal Government for securing their release and facilitating their return home.
Malami expressed his determination to rebuild his life through legitimate business.
The minister later presented support packages from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other government agencies to the returnees before they departed to reunite with their families in Sokoto State.
