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#FreeGaza: Nigerian Abducted By Israel Missing

BySodiq Yusuf

PublishedOctober 9, 2025

A Nigerian identified as Okey Vitalis Nnorom, popularly known as Michael, has reportedly been abducted by Israeli forces during the interception of a humanitarian flotilla heading to Gaza from Libya.

The report, first published by The Libya Observer on Facebook, claimed that Nnorom was among 17 activists arrested when Israeli occupation forces boarded the Omar Al-Mukhtar Flotilla. The group said the flotilla was on a mission to deliver humanitarian aid and express solidarity with Palestinians amid renewed violence in Gaza.

In the post, the Libyan outlet described the Nigerian as “one of our strongest comrades,” praising his courage and commitment to humanitarian causes.

The news quickly spread across social media and ignited heated reactions among Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter), where many users called on the federal government to act swiftly to secure Nnorom’s release.

“@YusufTuggar @NigeriaMFA @abikedabiri @NGRPresident — facilitate his repatriation NOW. He was only a humanitarian activist,” one user, @Nainna_J, wrote.

Another Nigerian, @_checkings, appealed to the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, saying, “We need your help ma to bring Okey back home safe.”

But the identity of the detained activist has since become a subject of confusion. While The Libya Observer identified him as “Okey Vitalis Nnorom,” several Nigerians who watched the circulating video insisted that the man introduced himself simply as “Michael from Nigeria,” without any ethnic reference.

“You tagged him an Igbo man and even gave him an Igbo name, but in the video, he never said so,” wrote @AbCorenect. Another user, @EzeMmu00, questioned, “He said his name is Michael — who then is Okey Vitalis, and how do you know he is Igbo?”

The online debate soon turned emotional, with some Nigerians defending the activist’s action and others criticising his decision to join a foreign protest mission. “Why will a Nigerian participate in such when he knows that the government doesn’t care much about its citizens?” @OluseyiOlabisi asked.

A few users, however, praised Michael’s bravery, describing him as a rare voice of conscience. “This is an Igbo man helping to fight for a foreign family that doesn’t even know he exists,” wrote @NaijaSpirite_, lamenting the lack of involvement by many Nigerians in global humanitarian causes.

As at the time of filing this report, neither the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor NiDCOM had issued any official statement regarding Nnorom’s alleged abduction.

The Omar Al-Mukhtar Flotilla was reportedly manned by international activists seeking to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to civilians caught in the conflict.

The Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the fate of the 17 detained activists.

Sodiq Yusuf

Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.