About 98 Nigerians serving prison sentences in Ethiopia are set to be repatriated to Nigeria following the signing of a prisoner transfer agreement between both countries.
The development was announced during a visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to Nigerian inmates at Aba Samuel Prison in Ethiopia, where she conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s assurance that the country had not abandoned them.
The agreement, signed in Addis Ababa on June 10, allows convicted Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons to serve the remainder of their jail terms in Nigeria. Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, signed the pact on behalf of Nigeria, while Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Hanna Arayaselassie, signed for her country.
According to Ethiopian authorities, about 98 inmates — including two women — are eligible for transfer under the arrangement, provided they consent to the move and have at least one year remaining on their sentences.
Addressing the inmates, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the agreement was a product of the Tinubu administration’s citizen diplomacy policy and was guided by humanitarian considerations and cooperation between both countries.
She disclosed that four Nigerian inmates died during the period of negotiations and legal processes leading to the conclusion of the agreement.
The minister urged the inmates to cooperate with authorities by completing the required documentation for their transfer and reminded them that the arrangement should not be seen as an excuse for criminal behaviour.
She also encouraged them to embrace rehabilitation and self-improvement, assuring them of the government’s commitment to supporting their reintegration through skills acquisition and capacity-building programmes.
“I want to once thank the Ethiopian government for this prisoner transfer agreement and also to keep assuring you that the Nigerian government remains concerned about your welfare, about your dignity and about your access to fair treatment under all the applicable laws and also to tell you on behalf of Nigerians, to maintain hope, discipline and good conduct and respect for the laws and regulations of your host country.
“And also, I wish to remind you about what I have been talking about, which is about personal rehabilitation. This personal rehabilitation, this self-improvement, and the conduct that you have given, good conduct that you’ve committed to, can create opportunities for you for a better future.
“The government also remains committed to providing avenues for technical training, for capacity building, for other pathways that will enhance your skills and provide better opportunities for a legitimate living,” the Minister said.
Assistant Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Aminu Yusuf, who represented the Controller-General, assured the inmates that arrangements had been made to receive them in Nigeria.
He said they would initially be processed at the Kuje Correctional Centre before being transferred to correctional facilities closer to their families.
The announcement sparked celebrations among the inmates, many of whom expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and their legal representatives.
Speaking on behalf of the prisoners, their spokesperson welcomed the agreement and pledged that the inmates would conduct themselves responsibly if returned to Nigeria.