President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerian nationals held in Ethiopian prisons that the Federal Government has not abandoned them, following a new prisoner transfer agreement between Nigeria and Ethiopia.

The message was delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a visit to inmates at Aba Samuel Prison in Ethiopia on Thursday, June 11.

She announced that both countries had signed a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement, enabling eligible Nigerian prisoners to be repatriated to complete their sentences at home. Officials said about 98 to 100 Nigerian inmates could benefit from the arrangement, including two women.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the deal was driven by Nigeria’s citizen diplomacy framework under the Renewed Hope foreign policy approach, stressing cooperation, justice and humanitarian concerns. She also revealed that at least four Nigerian inmates died during the long negotiation process.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agreement requires prisoners to consent before transfer and applies mainly to those with at least one year left on their sentences.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while Ethiopia’s justice authorities concluded the agreement in Addis Ababa.

Officials from the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed that returning inmates would be received and processed at facilities such as Kuje Correctional Centre before further relocation within Nigeria.

The Ethiopian authorities said the move is part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and ensure humane treatment of foreign nationals in custody.