ADDIS ABABA
Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed a bilateral agreement allowing convicted citizens of either country to be transferred home to serve the remainder of their prison sentences, a move both governments described as a step toward stronger consular cooperation and humanitarian justice.
The agreement was signed June 10 in Addis Ababa by Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Hana Arayasellassie, in the presence of senior officials from both countries.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the pact would enable sentenced Nigerians and Ethiopians to return to their home countries to complete their prison terms.
“This accord is a reflection of the shared commitment of our two nations to justice, and to a more humane approach to custodial administration,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said in a social media post announcing the agreement.
She said the arrangement recognizes the importance of family support, language, culture and social connections in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.
The agreement follows years of negotiations between the two countries. Odumegwu-Ojukwu said four Nigerian prisoners in Ethiopia died before the deal was finalized.
“We have lost four Nigerian prisoners within the time frame it has taken for the negotiations, judicial vetting and the final conclusion of this agreement,” she said during a visit to Nigerian inmates at Addis Ababa’s Kality prison, also known as Aba Samuel Prison.
Addressing the inmates, she said: “Your country will not desert you. Your president knows you are here.”
The Nigerian minister said the government remains committed to protecting the welfare of its citizens abroad while encouraging them to obey the laws of their host countries.
According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prisoner transfer agreement is expected to strengthen cooperation between the justice institutions of both countries and provide a legal framework for collaboration in the area.
During talks preceding the signing, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between the two countries, which Ethiopia said dates to the 1960s.
Gedion emphasized the need for continued coordination and consultation on issues of mutual interest, while Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed Nigeria’s interest in expanding bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
Both sides said they were confident the discussions and the signing of the agreement would further deepen partnership and cooperation between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
