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Nigeria and Ethiopia have signed an agreement to transfer more than 100 Nigerian inmates detained in Ethiopian correctional facilities back to Nigeria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said four Nigerian inmates have died during the lengthy process of negotiations, judicial reviews, and ratification of the agreement.
The minister arrived in Addis Ababa to sign the pact alongside the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and other government officials on Wednesday.
They were received by Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the country’s Chief of Protocol.
Dateline: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.
In Addis Ababa to sign a very important agreement with the Government of Ethiopia, together with the AGF HM Lateef Fagbemi, to transfer over 100 Nigerian Prisoners that are currently languishing in their prisons , namely the Kaliti Prisons… pic.twitter.com/2xZAJuAx8R
— Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (@Ojukwu_Bianca) June 10, 2026
“We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” she said in a post shared on X on Wednesday.
The minister identified Kaliti Prison and Aba Samuel Prison as the facilities where the Nigerian inmates are being held.
She described the agreement as a product of the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Ethiopia, anchored on humanitarian considerations, justice, and bilateral cooperation.
She reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that its nationals facing legal challenges abroad are treated fairly and in accordance with the law.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu added that the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad remain a key priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
She also expressed appreciation to the Ethiopian Government for its cooperation in bringing the agreement to fruition.
