ABUJA, Nigeria β€” Six Nigerian nationals who had been held in Ivorian detention facilities since October 2025 over alleged economic crimes have successfully regained their freedom following a series of high-level diplomatic interventions by the Federal Government. The breakthrough was announced in an official press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, confirming that the freed citizens were released in two separate batches after months of intensive legal and consular negotiations in Abidjan. A Phased Release and Consular Support According to details provided by the ministry's spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the operational release followed structured engagements with the Ivorian judiciary and regional security agencies. Four of the detained Nigerians were formally released on Monday, June 22, 2026, while the remaining two individuals walked out of custody the following day, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Throughout their multi-month incarceration, officials from the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan maintained regular consular access to the correction centers, monitoring the health and legal rights of the detainees while actively mapping out a diplomatic roadmap with the host country’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Commending the Diplomatic Corp The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highly commended Nigeria's Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, His Excellency Ambassador Nwabiola C. Ezenwa, alongside the embassy’s core diplomatic staff, for their steadfast professionalism and tireless negotiation efforts which prevented prolonged judicial delays. The federal government also expressed its deep appreciation to the Ivorian government for its institutional cooperation, noting that the peaceful, swift resolution of the sensitive matter reflects the deeply rooted bilateral relations and regional solidarity shared between both West African neighbors. Prioritizing Citizen Welfare Abroad Reaffirming the core tenets of the administration's foreign policy framework, the statement emphasized that the protection of the rights, dignity, and welfare of Nigerian nationals overseas remains a non-negotiable priority for the state. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured the public that it will continue to proactively deploy its global network of diplomatic missions to shield citizens from unfair treatment and provide required consular aid. Concurrently, the ministry urged all Nigerians residing in or traveling to foreign countries to remain law-abiding, strictly respect the statutory codes of their host nations, and consistently maintain contact lines with the nearest Nigerian embassy to ensure swift assistance whenever unexpected emergencies arise.