By Peter Omopo
The Federal Government has clarified the purpose of the recently signed Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia, describing it as a humanitarian and diplomatic arrangement designed to allow convicted Nigerians serving prison terms in the East African country to complete their sentences in Nigeria.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the clarification on Thursday while dismissing as false a viral list claiming that 136 Nigerians were incarcerated in Ethiopian prisons. According to her, the agreement covers only 98 Nigerian inmates currently held in two Ethiopian correctional facilities.
Nigeria and Ethiopia recently signed the agreement to enable convicted nationals of both countries to serve the remainder of their jail terms in their respective home countries.
Speaking on the development, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the government had spent several years working to secure the transfer arrangement, noting that obtaining accurate data on the number and location of Nigerian prisoners in Ethiopia had been a major challenge.
She explained that the affected inmates are held in Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons, both maximum-security facilities, adding that the agreement became necessary in response to longstanding appeals from prisoners seeking to complete their sentences in Nigeria.
According to the minister, many of the inmates have endured difficult conditions, including poor feeding, inadequate healthcare, limited access to legal services, language barriers and restrictions on family visitation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu revealed that four Nigerian inmates died while negotiations for the agreement were ongoing, underscoring the urgency of concluding the arrangement.
She also rejected claims that the transfer would automatically lead to the release of the affected prisoners. According to her, the agreement contains provisions preventing any pardon, amnesty or sentence reduction without the consent of the sentencing country.
The minister further dismissed allegations that the inmates covered by the agreement were drawn from a particular region of Nigeria, stressing that those involved come from different parts of the country.
She maintained that criminal activity should not be viewed through ethnic or regional lenses, noting that all the affected individuals remain Nigerian citizens entitled to consular support and humane treatment regardless of their background.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu reiterated that the list circulating online was fabricated and urged the public to disregard misinformation surrounding the agreement. She emphasized that the initiative was intended solely to address humanitarian concerns while ensuring that convicted persons continue to serve their lawful sentences under the terms agreed upon by both countries.
