Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed a bilateral agreement that will enable more than 100 Nigerian prisoners serving sentences in Ethiopian correctional facilities to be transferred home to complete their jail terms.
The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa by Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Hanna Arayaselassie, in the presence of Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timothewos.
Announcing the development on Wednesday, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement would facilitate the repatriation of Nigerian inmates currently held in Ethiopia’s Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons.
“In Addis Ababa, to sign a very important agreement with the government of Ethiopia, together with the AGF HM Lateef Fagbemi, to transfer over 100 Nigerian prisoners that are currently languishing in their prisons, namely the Kaliti Prisons and Aba Samuel Prisons, Ethiopia, back to Nigeria,” she stated.
According to the minister, the agreement reflects the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad while strengthening judicial cooperation between both countries.
She revealed that four Nigerian inmates died during the lengthy negotiation and legal vetting process leading to the agreement, underscoring the urgency of concluding the arrangement.
“The Agreement we sign today is rooted in the principles of humanity, justice and cooperation between our two nations,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
“While we continue to encourage our citizens living and travelling abroad to respect the laws of their host countries and uphold the good name of our nation, we also remain committed to ensuring that those who find themselves in conflict with the law are treated with dignity and accorded their rights under applicable legal frameworks.”
The agreement follows months of diplomatic engagements aimed at securing the return of nearly 300 Nigerians incarcerated in Ethiopian prisons, particularly at the overcrowded Kaliti Prison in Addis Ababa.
