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• Nigerian inmates in Ethiopian prisons rejoice over minister’s announcement of repatriation deal
• 96 males, 2 females to benefit from PTA
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerian nationals in Ethiopian prisons that the country has not abandoned them.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, delivered the president’s message to the inmates when she led a delegation to visit them at the Aba Samuel Prison in Ethiopia on Thursday.
Media aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Magnus Eze, in a statement issued in Abuja, said that during the visit, the minister announced the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement signed by the two countries a day earlier.
“The agreement allows about 100 Nigerians serving jail terms in Ethiopia to be transferred back to Nigeria to complete their sentences. The inmates are mainly held in Aba Samuel and Kaliti prisons.
“According to Ethiopian authorities, about 98 inmates could benefit from the just-concluded prisoner transfer deal, two of them women. They explained that those to be transferred would not only give their consent but also have at least one year left of their sentences,” Eze said.
Addressing the inmates after a separate meeting with the authorities of the Ethiopian Federal Prisons Commission and the Ministry of Justice, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement with the Government of Ethiopia was prompted by the citizen diplomacy approach enshrined in the 4-D (Diplomacy, Democracy, Development and Demography) foreign policy of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu-led administration.
The minister, who disclosed that at least four Nigerian inmates died during the negotiations, judicial vetting, and the final conclusion of the agreement, also said that the deal was rooted in the principles of humanity, justice, and cooperation between the two nations.
She stated that the Nigerian government would continue to encourage its citizens living and travelling abroad to respect the laws of their host countries and uphold the good name of Nigeria.
The minister added that the country remained committed to ensuring that those who found themselves in conflict with the law were not totally abandoned to their fate, but accorded their rights under applicable legal frameworks.
Warning that this was not “a licence for impunity,” the minister stated that prospective offenders might not be lucky next time.
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Odumegwu-Ojukwu said: “In this scenario, we need your consent. The formal documentation here means that the consent form indicating that you want to return to Nigeria is necessary so that it facilitates your documentation for return. So, we are urging you to cooperate with the correctional facilities in doing all this documentation process.
“I want to once again thank the Ethiopian government for this prisoner transfer agreement and also to keep assuring you that the Nigerian government remains concerned about your welfare, your dignity and your access to fair treatment under all applicable laws, and also to tell you on behalf of Nigerians to maintain hope, discipline and good conduct and respect for the laws and regulations of your host country.
“And also, I wish to remind you about what I have been talking about, which is personal rehabilitation. This personal rehabilitation, self-improvement, and the good conduct that you have committed to, can create opportunities for you for a better future.
“The government also remains committed to providing avenues for technical training, capacity building, and other pathways that will enhance your skills and provide better opportunities for a legitimate living.
“I’ll say this again: don’t travel these routes again. First time lucky, second time you don’t know where it’s going. Do it for your people, for the sake of your mother, for the sake of your father, for the sake of your family, who are so troubled that you are here. And for the sake of your country, please, I implore you that when you return, you can chart a new path. This government remains committed to assisting you to chart this new path.”
Also speaking, the Assistant Controller-General (Operations) of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Aminu Yusuf, who represented the Controller-General of the Service, assured the inmates of their readiness to receive them in Nigeria.
“After we have received you in Kuje Correctional Centre, all other formalities, documentation and relocation will certainly take place. As you may be aware, the powers are vested in the Controller-General to move you to locations that he deems fit or where you will be closer to your families.
“Once again, we wish you well and look forward to welcoming you back to Nigeria,” Yusuf said.
Eze further said there was excitement and jubilation in the hall as the inmates could not control their emotions.
“They sang praises of President Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and their lawyer, Abumchukwu Okoye.
“Their spokesperson, in his remarks, lauded the prisoner transfer agreement with Ethiopia, pledging that they would be of good character if eventually repatriated,” Eze disclosed.
