Nigeria, Ethiopia sign deal to transfer more than 100 Nigerian prisoners home

Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement that will pave the way for more than 100 Nigerian inmates currently serving jail terms in Ethiopia to be repatriated to serve the remainder of their sentences at home.

The bilateral instrument was signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa, according to a statement by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. It provides for the transfer of nationals convicted in either country, subject to agreed conditions and the respective laws and international obligations of both nations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu led Nigeria’s diplomatic team, while her Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timothewos, facilitated the diplomatic milestone. Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, signed for Nigeria, and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Ms. Hanna Arayaselassie, signed for her country.

Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation to the Ethiopian government and people. She said the agreement was “rooted in the principles of humanity, justice, and international cooperation” and would allow sentenced persons who are nationals of either country to be transferred home under the agreed framework.

Both countries agreed to commence immediate implementation of the agreement in accordance with their domestic laws.

In a post on her X handle earlier, Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that the deal covers “over 100 Nigerian prisoners that are currently languishing in their prisons, namely Kaliti Prisons and Aba Samuel Prisons, Ethiopia.”

She noted that four Nigerian prisoners died during the period of negotiations, judicial vetting, and final ratification. “We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” she wrote.

The minister said she was received on arrival by Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the Chief of Protocol before the signing ceremony took place in the afternoon.

“This Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement is a bilateral agreement between the two nations of Ethiopia and Nigeria,” she stated. “On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for whom the welfare and protection of Nigerian citizens abroad remains a priority, I wish to convey our sincere appreciation to the Government and People of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for this important milestone.”

She added that while Nigeria continues to urge citizens living and traveling abroad to respect host country laws and uphold Nigeria’s reputation, the government remains committed to ensuring that those who run afoul of the law are treated with dignity and accorded their rights under applicable legal frameworks.