More than 100 Nigerians serving prison terms in Ethiopia may soon be repatriated following the conclusion of a prisoner transfer agreement between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, arrived in Addis Ababa alongside the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to finalise and sign the bilateral arrangement with Ethiopian authorities.
The Nigerian delegation was received by senior officials of the Ethiopian government, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the country’s Chief of Protocol.
Announcing the development on social media, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the agreement would enable incarcerated Nigerians in Ethiopian correctional facilities to serve the remainder of their sentences in Nigeria.
According to her, many of the affected inmates are being held at Kaliti Prison and Aba Samuel Prison in Ethiopia.
The Minister said delays caused by negotiations, legal reviews and ratification of the agreement had come at a heavy human cost, revealing that four Nigerian inmates died while the process was still ongoing.
“We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the prisoner transfer arrangement as a major humanitarian and diplomatic step reflecting the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
She said the agreement was anchored on justice, humanitarian values and bilateral cooperation between both countries.
The Minister urged Nigerians living abroad to obey the laws of their host countries and protect the image of Nigeria.
She, however, stressed that the Federal Government remains committed to safeguarding the rights, dignity and welfare of Nigerians abroad, including those who come into conflict with the law.
“While we continue to encourage our citizens living and traveling 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 said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu added that the protection of Nigerians overseas remains a key priority of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
She also commended the Ethiopian government for its cooperation in bringing the prisoner transfer agreement to fruition.
Once signed and implemented, the agreement is expected to pave the way for the repatriation of affected Nigerian inmates from Ethiopian prisons to continue serving their sentences at home.
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