The Federal Government has announced the finalisation of a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia, paving the way for the repatriation of Nigerian citizens currently serving prison sentences in the East African country.
The agreement forms part of the citizen diplomacy framework under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is aimed at ensuring that Nigerians imprisoned abroad can serve their sentences closer to home under more humane conditions.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Dr. Magnus Eze.
According to the minister, the agreement represents a significant diplomatic achievement and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the welfare of Nigerians living outside the country.
She explained that the initiative is part of broader efforts by the government to intervene in cases involving Nigerians facing difficult circumstances in foreign countries.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also dismissed reports circulating on social media and other online platforms claiming that 136 Nigerians are currently imprisoned in Ethiopia.
She described the figures as inaccurate and the accompanying allegations regarding the offences committed by the inmates as misleading.
According to the minister, the actual number of Nigerian inmates covered by the agreement is 98.
She stressed that the government remains determined to ensure that those affected can return to Nigeria to complete their sentences with dignity and without being subjected to harsh or inhumane conditions.
The minister noted that discussions aimed at facilitating the transfer of the prisoners had been ongoing for several years, with challenges arising from efforts to establish accurate records of Nigerians incarcerated in Ethiopian prisons.
She explained that the inmates are held mainly in Kaliti Prison and Aba Samuel Prison, both of which are maximum-security correctional facilities.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the transfer agreement became necessary because many of the inmates had repeatedly requested to be returned to Nigeria to complete their jail terms.
“Essentially, if prisoners have been sentenced in one country and they are serving a jail term in that country, they can return to their state or country of origin to serve out the sentence,” she explained.
She added that the arrangement is intended to address the numerous difficulties faced by Nigerian prisoners in Ethiopia, including poor living conditions and limited access to essential services.
According to the minister, many inmates have complained about inadequate healthcare facilities, poor feeding arrangements, restricted visitation rights, insufficient legal support, and language barriers that make communication and access to justice more difficult.
She revealed that four Nigerian inmates died while efforts were ongoing to conclude the agreement between both countries.
Reflecting on her visit to one of the prisons, Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concern about the conditions under which the prisoners were being held.
“Some of these young people that I saw when I went into that prison could have been anybody’s brother. So, should they be faced with such a precarious situation for one mistake?” she asked.
The minister also addressed concerns that repatriated prisoners could receive pardons or be released immediately upon their return to Nigeria.
She clarified that the agreement contains safeguards preventing such actions without the approval of Ethiopian authorities.
According to her, one of the provisions of the memorandum of understanding specifically states that Nigeria cannot grant amnesty or pardon to transferred inmates without the consent of the sentencing country.
She further rejected suggestions that the inmates come predominantly from a particular ethnic group or region of Nigeria.
The minister stressed that criminal activities should not be viewed through ethnic or regional lenses.
“A lot of them are from the Southeast. There are also those from the Southwest and the South-South. Crime has no ethnicity. All these people are Nigerian citizens in a foreign jail,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu reiterated that the list currently circulating online is fabricated and does not reflect the actual number of Nigerians covered by the agreement.
She confirmed that the transfer arrangement applies to 98 Nigerian inmates currently serving sentences in Ethiopia and emphasised that the initiative is driven by humanitarian concerns and the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens wherever they may be.
