The minister questioned why the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire was not informed about the arrest and detention of the traders, noting that the delay in notification hindered timely diplomatic intervention.
The Nigerian government has demanded compensation for the family of a Nigerian trader, Usama Murtala, who died after being detained in Côte d'Ivoire, while also calling for a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and the detention of six Nigerian traders.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in an update following a meeting with the Ambassador of Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria, Kalilou Traore, over the incident involving the Nigerian nationals.
According to the minister in a statement on Saturday, the meeting was convened to seek an explanation from the Ivorian authorities over the detention of the six traders and the death of Murtala after his incarceration at MACA prison in Abidjan.
She said, "I had a meeting yesterday with the Ambassador of Côte D’Ivoire H E Kalilou Traore to demand an explanation from the Ivorian authorities over the circumstances that led to the detention of 6 young Nigerian traders, and the death of one of them, Usama Murtala, after incarceration in MACA prison, Abidjan."
