Ivory Coast investigates disappearance of journalist Serge Mathurin Adou in Niger

The Ivorian government has launched an investigation into the disappearance of Serge Mathurin Adou, a journalist for Canal 3, who went missing in Niger earlier this month.

Adou, who has been based in Niger for two decades, reportedly vanished after being summoned by Nigerien judicial authorities.

Ivorian government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly, speaking after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, confirmed the government’s involvement in the case.

“Our consul has contacted the Nigerien judicial authorities, who have stated they have no information regarding his whereabouts,” Coulibaly said.

According to initial reports, Adou had received a call from Niger’s police urging him to respond to a judicial summons, a detail relayed to Ivorian authorities by the journalist’s wife.

“His wife did not see the actual summons but mentioned a phone conversation in which her husband informed her of his intention to comply.

He left to attend the summons, and since then, no one has heard from him,” Coulibaly added.

Coulibaly, who also serves as Ivory Coast’s Minister of Communication, explained that the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in coordination with the consulate responsible for Niger, is closely monitoring the situation.

The Ivorian consul, based in Burkina Faso, has also contacted Niger’s transitional authorities, but they claim to have no further information.

“We will formally approach the Nigerien ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire to get a clearer understanding of the situation concerning our colleague,” Coulibaly said, assuring the public that “Ivory Coast is deeply concerned about the safety of its citizens abroad.”

He emphasized the need for official diplomatic channels to be used in this matter.

“It is crucial that we follow the correct procedures by formally notifying the relevant Nigerien authorities, whether judicial or transitional,” Coulibaly insisted, noting that the Foreign Ministry is closely following developments in the case.

The journalist’s disappearance has raised concerns across the region.

Speaking on Radio France Internationale (RFI), Noël Yao, president of the Union of Journalists of the Free African Press (UJPLA), expressed deep concern.

“Neither his Nigerien wife nor his relatives have any information on his whereabouts.

This absence is deeply worrying,” Yao said, adding that no one knows what Adou may be accused of.

Serge Mathurin Adou has been missing since early September 2024, and his case continues to attract growing international attention as authorities in both Ivory Coast and Niger work to uncover his fate.