Tinubu transmits bill to Senate to allow transfer of convicted Nigerians abroad back home

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the Senate seeking to empower the federal government to enter into agreements with other countries for the transfer of convicted Nigerian citizens to serve their sentences at home.

The proposed legislation aims to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act of 2004, facilitating prisoner transfers under mutual agreements between Nigeria and foreign nations. Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president's letter during Tuesday's plenary session.

According to the letter, the legislation will enable Nigeria to both repatriate its citizens convicted abroad and honor reciprocal requests from foreign governments, subject to specific treaty terms.

“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,” President Tinubu stated.

The bill will empower the president, through an order published in the Federal Gazette, to apply the law to any country with which Nigeria establishes a formal transfer agreement, extending beyond existing Commonwealth frameworks.

Following the reading, Senate President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative processing.
High-profile cases involving Nigerians convicted abroad include former Delta State Governor James Ibori, who served a sentence for money laundering in the United Kingdom, and former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who was convicted in the UK in 2023.

Additionally, former Ogun State political aide Abidemi Rufai was sentenced for wire fraud in the United States in 2022.

While Nigeria and the UK already share a prisoner-transfer arrangement, the new amendment establishes a broader legal framework for implementing agreements with non-Commonwealth nations.

Eligibility for transfer will depend strictly on the conditions and provisions outlined in individual bilateral agreements rather than guaranteeing automatic repatriation for every convicted citizen abroad.