President Bola Tinubu has sent a bill to the Senate that would allow Nigeria to sign prisoner-transfer deals with countries beyond the Commonwealth, clearing the way for convicted Nigerians abroad to serve their sentences at home.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the President’s letter during Tuesday’s plenary. The proposed law would amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act of 2004.
“The Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act, Act Cap 216, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, to give effect to the provisions of any scheme or agreement for the transfer of convicted offenders between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the government of any other country,” Tinubu wrote.
Beyond the Commonwealth
Under the current law, Nigeria’s prisoner-transfer arrangements are largely tied to Commonwealth frameworks.
The amendment would let the President apply the law to any country with which Nigeria signs a formal agreement, through an order published in the Federal Gazette.
The bill would also allow Nigeria to honour reciprocal requests from foreign governments, subject to the terms of each treaty.
Eligibility for transfer would depend on the conditions set in individual bilateral agreements. The bill does not guarantee automatic repatriation for every Nigerian convicted abroad.
High-Profile Cases Loom Large
The legislation arrives against the backdrop of several prominent convictions of Nigerians in foreign courts.
Former Delta State Governor James Ibori served a sentence for money laundering in the United Kingdom.
Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu was convicted in the UK in 2023. In the United States, former Ogun State political aide Abidemi Rufai was sentenced for wire fraud in 2022.
These cases have fuelled debate about whether Nigerians convicted abroad should serve their terms at home, where prison conditions and sentences often differ sharply.
The Senate has referred the bill to its Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action. It must pass both chambers before the President signs it into law.
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
