FG has moved to repatriate 300 Nigerians jailed in Ethiopia amid concerns over prison conditions.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a high-level Federal Government delegation to Ethiopia to facilitate the immediate repatriation of nearly 300 Nigerian nationals currently serving prison sentences in the East African country.
The delegation, comprising the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is expected to conclude negotiations and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ethiopian government to enable the transfer of the inmates to Nigeria.
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The prisoners, most of whom are being held at the notorious Kaliti Maximum Security Prison in Addis Ababa, would complete the remainder of their sentences in Nigerian correctional facilities if the agreement is finalised.
Sources familiar with the development disclosed that President Tinubu directed the officials to expedite the process amid growing concerns over the welfare and deteriorating health conditions of Nigerian inmates in Ethiopian prisons.
According to one source, the President’s directive was aimed at ensuring the prisoners are returned home as quickly as possible.
“We are leaving because we have prisoners. The President has directed us to get these prisoners back. He instructed that we move immediately with the Attorney-General, secure the signing of the MoU and facilitate their transfer to Nigeria to serve the remainder of their jail terms,” the source said.
Another official revealed that the urgency of the mission was informed by reports of worsening conditions and rising fatalities among Nigerian inmates.
“They are dying. We have almost 300 Nigerians in prisons in Ethiopia, and there is growing concern over their welfare,” the source stated.
The intervention marks President Tinubu’s most direct involvement in a matter that has generated diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and Ethiopia for more than three years.
Official figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicate that over 270 Nigerians are currently incarcerated in Ethiopia, largely for drug-related offences. Most of the inmates are detained at Kaliti Prison, where rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, poor nutrition and harsh treatment of inmates.
The issue gained renewed attention following reports of the deaths of several Nigerian prisoners, including Chizoba Favour Eze in March 2023, Uchenna Nwanneneme in September 2023 and Basil Lawrence Ilobi, who also reportedly died while in custody.
The deaths prompted calls from families, advocacy groups and Nigerian diplomatic officials for the implementation of a prisoner transfer agreement between both countries.
In November 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to facilitate the return of the affected inmates after reports emerged that Ethiopian authorities lacked adequate resources to cater for foreign prisoners.
The push for the transfer agreement intensified in April 2025 when Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged Ethiopian authorities to accelerate the ratification of the MoU.
“Our people do not want to hear that another Nigerian inmate has died in an Ethiopian prison,” she said during a meeting with Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile.
Although Nigeria had completed its obligations under the agreement, Ethiopian authorities indicated that ratification was still pending legislative approval.
Families of the prisoners again appealed to the Federal Government in September 2025 to fast-track the transfer process.
The latest move by the Tinubu administration is expected to provide relief to affected families and strengthen ongoing efforts to protect the rights and welfare of Nigerians imprisoned abroad.
