President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the Senate seeking to establish a broader legal framework for transferring Nigerian citizens convicted of crimes abroad to serve their sentences in Nigeria.
The proposed Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act of 2004, enabling Nigeria to enter into formal agreements with foreign countries for the transfer of convicted persons.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the President’s letter transmitting the bill during Tuesday’s plenary session.
According to the letter, the proposed legislation would allow Nigeria to repatriate citizens convicted in foreign jurisdictions while also honouring reciprocal requests from other countries, subject to the terms and conditions of relevant agreements.
“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 stated.
The bill would empower the President to extend the law to any country with which Nigeria enters into a formal prisoner-transfer agreement through an order published in the Federal Gazette.
This provision is expected to broaden the existing legal framework beyond current arrangements, including those involving Commonwealth countries, and facilitate agreements with other nations.
Following the presentation of the bill, Akpabio referred it to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative consideration.
Several high-profile Nigerians have been convicted and sentenced in foreign jurisdictions, including former Delta State Governor James Ibori, who served a prison sentence in the United Kingdom following his conviction for money laundering-related offences.
Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu was also convicted in the UK in 2023 in connection with an organ-trafficking case, while former Ogun State political aide Abidemi Rufai was sentenced in the United States in 2022 for wire fraud.
Nigeria and the United Kingdom already have a prisoner-transfer arrangement, but the proposed amendment seeks to provide a more comprehensive legal basis for implementing similar agreements with additional countries.
However, the proposed legislation does not guarantee the automatic return of every Nigerian convicted abroad. Any transfer would depend on the terms of the relevant agreement, the applicable legal requirements and the eligibility conditions established by the countries involved.
If passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, the amendment could expand Nigeria’s capacity to negotiate prisoner-transfer arrangements with foreign governments and enable eligible Nigerian offenders to serve the remainder of their sentences at home.
