The Federal Government has defended its decision to sign a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia, stating that the move is driven by humanitarian concerns and the need to protect Nigerian citizens abroad.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the agreement aligns with the citizen diplomacy thrust of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which prioritises the welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora.
She explained that the pact would allow Nigerian inmates serving prison terms in Ethiopia to be transferred home to complete their sentences under more humane conditions.
According to the minister, the decision followed years of diplomatic engagement, complicated by difficulties in verifying the exact number of Nigerians held in Ethiopian prisons.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also dismissed as false a list circulating on social media claiming that 136 Nigerians were incarcerated in Ethiopia, describing it as fabricated and misleading.
She clarified that only 98 inmates are covered under the agreement and noted that they are held in maximum-security facilities, including Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons.
The minister highlighted the harsh conditions faced by the inmates, including poor healthcare, inadequate feeding, limited access to legal services, and language barriers, which necessitated urgent government intervention.
“We had to expedite action because of the precarious living conditions and repeated appeals from the inmates to return home,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further disclosed that four Nigerian prisoners died while negotiations for the agreement were ongoing, underscoring the urgency of the deal.
Addressing public concerns, she stressed that the agreement does not grant automatic freedom to the inmates upon their return, noting that a key provision prohibits pardon or amnesty without the consent of the sentencing country.
She also refuted claims that the inmates were from a particular region, emphasising that crime has no ethnic or regional identity.
“At the end of the day, these are Nigerian citizens in foreign prisons, and the government has a responsibility to ensure they serve their sentences with dignity,” she added.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to extending similar support to Nigerians facing legal challenges in other parts of the world.
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