ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has confirmed that the recent prisoner transfer agreement with Ethiopia aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, as it facilitates the repatriation of Nigerians incarcerated in Ethiopian prisons.
The agreement was signed on June 10, 2026, by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Ethiopia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, on the margins of the G7 summit in France. The deal enables the transfer of 98 Nigerian inmates from Ethiopian prisons to serve the remainder of their sentences in Nigeria.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu confirmed that the agreement aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad. She noted that the list of prisoners online was fake but admitted that Igbos dominate the original list of 98 inmates. However, she cautioned against ethnic stereotyping, saying, “Crime has no ethnicity.”
The minister explained that the agreement establishes a legal framework for the transfer of sentenced persons between both countries, allowing Nigerians convicted in Ethiopia to return home and complete their sentences. This is intended to facilitate family visits, reintegration, and access to rehabilitation programmes.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between Nigeria and Ethiopia following allegations of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens in Ethiopian prisons. The Nigerian Senate had previously launched investigations into the matter, following a motion by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, and Senator Victor Umeh.
The prisoner transfer deal also follows the recent wave of anti-migrant attacks in South Africa, which prompted the Nigerian government to commence evacuation of citizens who had registered to return home.
Peter Obi, former presidential candidate, commended the repatriation effort while lamenting that at least four Nigerians lost their lives in custody during the process. He also questioned the systemic drivers that push young Nigerians into desperate circumstances abroad.
As the repatriation process begins, the Federal Government has assured that all necessary arrangements are in place to ensure the smooth transfer and reintegration of the affected Nigerians. The government has also reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of all Nigerians abroad, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
