The Federal Government has signed an agreement with the Government of Ethiopia to transfer more than 100 Nigerian prisoners serving sentences in Ethiopian correctional facilities back to Nigeria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in a post on her official X handle on Wednesday.
She said the agreement, signed alongside the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, was aimed at facilitating the repatriation of Nigerian inmates currently held in Kaliti Prison and Aba Samuel Prison in Ethiopia.
“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 AbaSamuel Prisons, Ethiopia, back to Nigeria,” she said.
According to her, the deal is a bilateral Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement between the two countries.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the delegation was received on arrival in Addis Ababa by Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chief of Protocol ahead of the signing ceremony.
She said the agreement reflects the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad.
The minister added that four Nigerian prisoners had died during the prolonged negotiation and legal vetting process, stressing the urgency of the agreement.
She said efforts were ongoing to ensure the safe return of affected Nigerians, while urging citizens abroad to respect the laws of their host countries.
“The Agreement we sign today is rooted in the principles of humanity and justice and cooperation between our two nations.
“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,” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians in foreign prisons are treated with dignity and in line with international legal frameworks.
Nigeria has been working to secure the repatriation of nearly 300 citizens serving prison sentences in Ethiopia, following worsening conditions in detention facilities such as Kaliti Prison in Addis Ababa.
President Tinubu had earlier dispatched a high-level delegation to Ethiopia, comprising Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Fagbemi, to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding on the transfer of sentenced persons.
The proposed agreement is expected to allow affected Nigerians to complete the remainder of their jail terms in Nigerian correctional facilities.
The move followed concerns over poor conditions in Ethiopian prisons, including overcrowding, inadequate medical care and reported deaths among inmates.
Officials familiar with the directive said the urgency was driven by deteriorating conditions faced by Nigerian prisoners, many of whom are being held at Kaliti Prison in Addis Ababa.