The Federal Government has said its newly signed Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at protecting Nigerians abroad.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated that the agreement will allow convicted Nigerians serving prison terms in Ethiopia to return home and complete their sentences in Nigeria.
According to the minister, the arrangement is driven by the government’s citizen diplomacy policy and efforts to improve the welfare of Nigerians facing difficult conditions in foreign prisons.
She explained that many of the affected inmates have spent years seeking repatriation due to challenges such as poor living conditions, health concerns, limited access to legal services, language barriers and restrictions on family visits.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that the agreement does not mean the prisoners will be released upon arrival in Nigeria, stressing that they will continue serving their sentences under the terms agreed by both countries.
The minister also dismissed reports circulating online claiming that 136 Nigerians are currently imprisoned in Ethiopia, describing the figures as false and misleading.
According to her, 98 inmates are covered under the transfer arrangement.
She revealed that efforts to secure the agreement had been ongoing for years, while lamenting that four Nigerian inmates reportedly died before the process was completed.
The minister further rejected claims that the prisoners are from a particular region of the country, insisting that criminal activities have no ethnic or regional identity.
She maintained that the government’s priority is to ensure that affected Nigerians serve their sentences in more humane conditions while remaining accountable for their offences.
The agreement is expected to strengthen diplomatic cooperation between Nigeria and Ethiopia while addressing long-standing concerns raised by Nigerian inmates in the East African country.
Source: Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs / NAN.
