By Aminu Garko
Sokoto – July 3, 2026 – The Sokoto State Government has received five indigenes deported from Côte d’Ivoire after spending about 10 months in detention.
The deportees arrived at Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, where they were received by a government delegation led by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal and Administrative Matters, Gandhi Umar, on behalf of Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
At the Government House, Aliyu thanked the Federal Government, particularly the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, for securing their release and facilitating their return. He said the administration would support the returnees to rebuild their lives and become self-reliant.
The governor said those who wished to continue their education would be assisted to return to school, while others would be empowered through business and livelihood programmes.
Speaking for the group, Lukman Sani said they travelled to Côte d’Ivoire in search of economic opportunities and earned a living by collecting damaged mobile phones in exchange for noodles or plastic household items.
He said they were arrested on allegations of drug trafficking and detained for 10 months, but investigations later cleared them of any offence.
Lukman said their belongings were confiscated before deportation. He added that they travelled as a group of six, but one colleague died in Côte d’Ivoire after their release and was buried there, while the remaining five were repatriated.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government, the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Sokoto State Government for their intervention.
A relative of the deportees, Sa’adu Tudun Wada, also thanked the state and federal governments for securing the young men’s release and return.
The Sokoto State Government reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of its citizens and pledged to sustain programmes for vulnerable residents.
