The Federal Government has received five Nigerians rescued from prolonged detention at MACA Prison in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, following diplomatic intervention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday, where they were received by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, a statement said.
The five — Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Lyman Mohammed — were among six Sokoto indigenes who travelled to Côte d’Ivoire for trade in August 2025.
They were arrested and detained for months without trial.
One other detainee, Usama Murtala, died shortly after regaining his freedom. The Federal Government will support the returnees with rehabilitation and reintegration.
Murtala became seriously ill while in custody and received inadequate medical attention. He died in a critical care hospital on June 24, 2026, a day after the detainees were released, and was buried the following day in Côte d’Ivoire in accordance with Islamic rites after consultation with his family in Sokoto State, the Minister said.
According to her, the Nigerian government was unaware of the men’s detention until April 2026, when the matter was brought to her attention.
She said she immediately directed the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan to intervene, leading to sustained diplomatic engagements that eventually secured their release.
“There was no charge sheet. There was no trial. They were simply detained and taken to prison,” the minister said, describing the circumstances surrounding their incarceration as deeply troubling.
She attributed much of the ordeal to language barriers, noting that the young men, who could not speak French, were unable to communicate effectively with authorities or 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,” she stated.
She described Murtala’s death as a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with irregular migration and the vulnerability of young Nigerians who travel abroad in search of better opportunities without fully understanding the legal systems of their destination countries.
“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 embark on such journeys,” she said.
She disclosed that the Federal Government would pursue the matter with the Ivorian authorities and seek compensation over the circumstances surrounding the detention and death of Murtala.
She also urged Nigerians to avoid embarking on risky and irregular journeys abroad, warning that many citizens imprisoned overseas are often arrested while transiting through foreign countries.
According to her, the government’s intervention reflects the Citizen Diplomacy policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad among its priorities.
The minister appealed to the Sokoto State Government to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of the returnees through skills acquisition and empowerment programmes.
She disclosed that the Federal Government had already written to the Sokoto State Government requesting assistance for the five young men, noting that they had endured severe trauma and hardship during their incarceration and deserved support to rebuild their lives.
Aliyu Malami, one if the returnees, recounted that what began as a business trip turned into months of detention under harsh conditions due largely to language barriers that prevented them from explaining their situation to the authorities.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for securing their release and facilitating their safe return to Nigeria, pledging to rebuild his life through legitimate business activities.
The returnees also received relief packages from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other government agencies before departing for Sokoto State, where they are expected to reunite with their families.
