President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to amend Nigeria’s existing prisoner-transfer law to enable eligible Nigerians convicted in foreign countries to serve their remaining jail terms at home.
The President submitted the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 for legislative consideration in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Act, Cap. T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to expand the country’s legal framework for transferring convicted persons between Nigeria and other nations.
Under the proposed amendment, the President would have the authority to extend the law’s application to countries with which Nigeria has entered into prisoner-transfer agreements through an order published in the Federal Gazette.
The proposed change would enable Nigeria to implement such arrangements with countries outside the Commonwealth, widening the scope of international cooperation beyond the existing framework.
The bill also provides a basis for reciprocal arrangements that could allow foreign nationals convicted in Nigeria to serve their sentences in their home countries, subject to the terms of relevant agreements.
Tinubu urged the lawmakers to consider the proposal expeditiously, citing the need to facilitate the implementation of agreements between Nigeria and other countries on the transfer of convicted offenders.
Following the presentation of the President’s letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The proposed amendment does not automatically guarantee the return of every Nigerian serving a prison sentence abroad. Any transfer would depend on the relevant international agreement, eligibility requirements and the legal conditions agreed upon by the countries involved.
Notably, the bill must undergo the necessary legislative processes before it can become law.
