The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reassured Nigerians serving sentences in Ethiopian prisons that the President Bola Tinubu‘s government will not abandon them.

Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by Magnus Eze, the special assistant on communication and new media at the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The minister stated this when she led a delegation to the Aba Samuel Prison in Ethiopia on June 11.

According to the minister, the transfer of sentenced persons agreement, which Nigeria and Ethiopia signed on June 10, provides that 96 males and two females are likely beneficiaries.

She said, “The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), signed for Nigeria while his Ethiopian counterpart, Hanna Arayaselassie, signed for her country.

“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.”

She explained that, according to Ethiopian authorities, those to be transferred would not only give their consent, but also have at least one year left of their sentences.

The minister also met with the Ethiopian Federal Prisons Commission and the Ministry of Justice.

She said the bilateral prisoner transfer agreement was prompted by the citizen diplomacy approach.

This, according to her, is enshrined in the 4-D: Diplomacy, Democracy, Development and Demography foreign policy of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu-led administration.

The minister disclosed that at least four Nigerian inmates had died during the negotiations, judicial vetting, and the conclusion of the agreement.

“The Nigerian government will continue to encourage its citizens living and travelling abroad to respect the laws of their host countries, and uphold the good name of Nigeria.

“Also, the country remains committed to ensuring those who find themselves in conflict with the law will not be totally abandoned to their fate, but accorded their rights under applicable legal frameworks,” she said.

She, however, warned that such support was not a license for impunity, adding that prospective offenders might not be as lucky next time.

“The government also remains committed to providing avenues for technical training, for capacity building, for other pathways that will enhance your skills and provide better opportunities for a legitimate living,” she said.

The Assistant Controller-General, Operations of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Aminu Yusuf, who represented the Controller-General of the NCoS, assured the inmates of the readiness to receive them in Nigeria.

“After we have received you in Kuje Correctional Centre, all other formalities, documentations and relocations will certainly take place.

“The powers are vested in the Controller-General to move you to locations he deems fit or where you will be closer to your families. We wish you well and look forward to welcoming you back to Nigeria,” Mr Yusuf said.

(NAN)