Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement aimed at allowing convicted nationals of both countries to serve the remainder of their prison terms in their home countries.
The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa on Thursday and is expected to take immediate effect in line with the laws and international obligations of both countries.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Magnus Eze, on Thursday, June 11
Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, while Ethiopia’s Justice Minister, Hanna Arayaselassie, signed for her country.
The signing ceremony was facilitated by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timothewos, at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa.
Speaking at the event, Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the agreement as a humanitarian and diplomatic milestone rooted in “the principles of humanity, justice, and international cooperation.”
She explained that the framework would allow prisoners who are nationals of either country, subject to agreed conditions, to be transferred home to serve the rest of their sentences.
“This arrangement recognizes the important role that family, language, culture, and social support systems play in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders,” she said.
The minister added that the agreement reflects a shared belief that correctional systems should provide opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration, not only punishment.
She noted that protecting Nigerians abroad remains a key responsibility of the government, especially under Nigeria’s citizen-centred diplomacy policy.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also urged Nigerians living overseas to respect the laws of their host countries while assuring that those in conflict with the law would be treated with dignity and afforded their legal rights.
She described the agreement as evidence of growing cooperation between Nigeria and Ethiopia in areas such as trade, aviation, migration management, security, and regional diplomacy.
The Nigerian delegation included Ambassador Nasir Aminu, Nigeria’s envoy to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union, as well as officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Ethiopia’s Commissioner General of the Federal Prison Commission also attended the signing.
Gideon Timothewos, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, said the agreement would further strengthen relations between both countries, which have maintained diplomatic ties for more than six decades.
The statement also revealed that Odumegwu-Ojukwu was scheduled to visit Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons in Ethiopia, where more than 100 Nigerian nationals are currently incarcerated, including four women.
According to the ministry, four Nigerian inmates died while negotiations and ratification of the agreement were still ongoing.
“We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” the minister said.
