The Federal Government has received six Nigerian citizens who returned home after spending almost a year in detention in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, without being formally charged or tried.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, describing their return as an emotional homecoming and reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians living abroad.
According to the minister, the six young men had travelled to Côte d’Ivoire on a trading mission but became entangled in circumstances that left them imprisoned for months.
“The boys are back. After spending almost a year imprisoned in Abidjan without charge or trial, it was an emotional homecoming for the boys,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
She identified the returnees as Aliyu Malami, Sa’adu Bello, Nasiru Umar, Shamsu Abubakar, Lyman Mohammed and another Nigerian who were all in their twenties when they embarked on the trip.
The minister said their ordeal highlighted the vulnerability of many Nigerians detained abroad, stressing that not everyone behind bars is guilty of the offences alleged against them.
“These young lads set out on a trading mission and became caught up in a system which overwhelmed them, unseen, unheard, and fighting to survive,” she stated.
She added, “This is a sad reminder of the fact that many of those in detention are not always seen in their full humanity, not always guilty as assumed, and many are just young people caught up in unfamiliar and sometimes unjust systems they do not fully understand.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also paid tribute to one of the group members, Usama Murtala, who died shortly after regaining his freedom.
According to her, Murtala had battled illness for months while in detention and was denied adequate medical care before his release.
“These boys made it home, but they carry the weight of their ordeal, and the memory of their friend Usama Murtala, who was ill for months in prison with inadequate medical care and died shortly after they were released. It is the burden of a lifetime,” she said.
The minister reiterated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue to prioritise the welfare of Nigerians overseas in line with the Federal Government’s Citizen Diplomacy policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in line with the Citizen Diplomacy imperative of the Renewed Hope Agenda, remains committed to securing the welfare and protection of our nationals abroad,” she said.
She also expressed appreciation to the National Orientation Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons for joining ministry officials to receive the returnees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also thanked Bola Ahmed Tinubu for placing the welfare of Nigerians abroad at the centre of the country’s foreign policy.
She concluded by welcoming the six returnees back to Nigeria and assuring citizens that the government would continue to intervene whenever Nigerians abroad require diplomatic assistance.
