The Federal Government has demanded compensation from the government of Côte d’Ivoire following the death of 24-year-old Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, who died while in detention at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA) Prison.

The demand was made by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu ,  during a meeting with the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, , in Abuja on Friday.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the minister’s media aide, Magnus Eze.

According to the statement, Murtala and five other Nigerian traders—Aliyu Malami, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Sa’adu Bello and Liman Mohammed—travelled by road from Sokoto to Abidjan in August 2025 for a business trip.

The six Nigerians were reportedly arrested by Ivorian authorities and detained in MACA Prison without being formally charged or tried.

The statement said they were recently released following sustained diplomatic engagements by the Nigerian Mission in Côte d’Ivoire and interventions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Receiving the five surviving traders at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday night, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Federal Government would pursue the matter with the Ivorian authorities.

She questioned why Nigerian authorities were not informed of the detention of the citizens, noting that the absence of official notification delayed diplomatic intervention.

The minister described the detainees as legitimate traders who were on a business trip but became vulnerable because of language barriers in the French-speaking country and were denied access to legal representation.

According to her, the Nigerians endured harsh conditions while in detention, including inadequate feeding, as they were reportedly given only one meal a day.

She added that two of the detainees became critically ill during their incarceration, while Murtala eventually died in custody.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the circumstances surrounding their arrest and prolonged detention remained unclear, as no reason was provided for holding them without charge or trial.

She further raised concerns that the traders’ mobile phones, merchandise, money and other personal belongings were not returned to them after they regained their freedom.

The minister noted that although the surviving traders had since returned to their home state of Sokoto, the trauma of losing their colleague remained a painful experience.

She urged the Ivorian ambassador to convey Nigeria’s position to his government, calling for a thorough investigation into the incident and measures to prevent a recurrence.

“We want this matter to be properly investigated. Whenever there are issues involving Nigerian nationals, our embassy in Abidjan should be informed. We understand the challenges language barriers can create, but our citizens deserve due process and humane treatment,” she said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called on the Ivorian government to compensate the family of the deceased trader and to commit to treating Nigerian citizens with dignity in future.

In his response, Ambassador Traore expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Nigerian government.

He assured the minister that Nigeria’s concerns would be promptly communicated to the relevant authorities in Abidjan for appropriate action.