FG plans to repatriate more than 100 Nigerians from Ethiopian prisons

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The Federal Government has finalized arrangements to repatriate more than 100 Nigerian prisoners currently serving sentences in Ethiopia, following a bilateral prisoner transfer agreement between the two countries.

Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu‑Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the development on Wednesday in a post on her X account while in Addis Ababa to sign the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement between Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Odumegwu‑Ojukwu said she travelled with Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to the signing ceremony, which aims to allow convicted nationals of both countries to complete their remaining sentences in their home countries.

She explained that the Nigerian delegation was received in Addis Ababa by Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the country’s Chief of Protocol before the ceremony.

The agreement covers Nigerian inmates currently held in Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons in Ethiopia and will facilitate their transfer back to Nigeria.

The minister noted that the arrangement reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad.

She said the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement is grounded in humanitarian considerations and strengthens bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Odumegwu‑Ojukwu added that during the negotiation process, judicial vetting and ratification stages, four Nigerian prisoners died before the deal was concluded.

“We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” she said.

She also emphasized that while the Federal Government continues to encourage Nigerians abroad to obey the laws of their host countries, it remains committed to ensuring that citizens who come into conflict with the law are treated with dignity and in line with international legal standards.

The agreement is expected to enable the gradual repatriation of eligible Nigerian inmates in Ethiopia in the coming months.

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