Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed a landmark Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement that will allow over 100 Nigerian prisoners to return home and complete the remainder of their jail terms, officials announced on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The bilateral pact, signed at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa, covers inmates held at Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons, where the conditions have raised grave humanitarian concerns.
The agreement was signed by Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Hanna Arayaselassie. The ceremony was facilitated by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timothewos. Ambassador Nasir Aminu, Nigeria’s envoy to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union, representatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service, and the Ethiopian Federal Prison Commission also witnessed the signing.
The development has brought relief to over 100 Nigerian nationals, including four women, currently serving prison sentences in the East African country. However, the diplomatic breakthrough came at a painful cost. Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that four Nigerian prisoners died while negotiations, judicial vetting and ratification processes leading to the agreement were still ongoing. “We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” she said at the signing ceremony.
Describing the agreement as a major humanitarian and diplomatic milestone, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said it is rooted in “the principles of humanity, justice, and international cooperation.” The minister explained that the legal framework recognises the critical role of family, language, culture and social support systems in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. The pact, which takes immediate effect, reflects a shared belief that correctional systems should not only punish wrongdoing but also provide opportunities for reformation.
“This arrangement recognises the important role that family, language, culture, and social support systems play in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said. The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians who find themselves in conflict with the law abroad are treated with dignity and accorded their rights under applicable legal frameworks.
The push for the prisoners’ return gathered momentum after a number of Nigerian inmates reportedly died in custody, triggering appeals from families and civil society organisations. Before now, nearly 300 Nigerians were estimated to be in Ethiopian prisons, many of them serving sentences linked to drug-related offences after being arrested while transiting through Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport. The matter also found its way to a Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed relevant government agencies to facilitate the return of the inmates. Diplomatic efforts continued through 2025, with repeated assurances that discussions were ongoing to resolve the matter.
The deal also paves the way for Ethiopian prisoners in Nigeria to be repatriated under the same framework, deepening judicial cooperation between both countries. The Federal Government has also urged Nigerians living and travelling abroad to respect the laws of their host countries while committing to protecting citizens abroad through citizen-centred diplomacy.
Following the signing, the Nigerian delegation was scheduled to visit the Kaliti and Aba Samuel correctional facilities in Ethiopia to meet with the affected inmates. The prisoner transfer agreement will allow eligible convicts to complete their jail terms in Nigerian correctional facilities closer to their families and social support networks, in line with international standards for rehabilitation.
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