President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the Senate seeking to empower the Federal Government to enter into agreements with foreign countries for the transfer of convicted Nigerians to serve their prison sentences at home.
The proposed legislation, titled the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026, seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act, Cap 216, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday.
In the letter, the President said the amendment would provide a legal framework for Nigeria to enter into prisoner-transfer agreements with other countries and also enable the country to honour similar requests from foreign governments under mutually agreed conditions.
According to Tinubu, “The Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act, Cap 216, 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.”
He added that the bill would empower the President, through an order published in the Federal Gazette, to extend the application of the law to any country with which Nigeria has entered into such an agreement.
At present, the existing Act mainly covers Commonwealth nations, limiting Nigeria’s ability to implement transfer deals with non-Commonwealth countries.
If passed, the bill will create a legal pathway for eligible Nigerians convicted abroad to complete their jail terms in Nigeria, and for foreign nationals convicted in Nigeria to be transferred to their home countries.
After reading the letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative consideration.
The bill would not automatically guarantee transfer for every Nigerian convicted abroad, as any transfer would depend on the terms of the relevant agreement, the eligibility of the prisoner, and the consent of both countries.
