The federal government has signed an agreement with Ethiopia to transfer more than 100 Nigerian prisoners back home to serve the remainder of their sentences.
Lateef Fagbemi, attorney general of the federation (AGF) and
minister of justice, signed the deal alongside Hanna Arayaselassie, his
Ethiopian counterpart, on Friday in the presence of senior officials from both
governments.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of foreign affairs, said
the pact reflected the shared commitment of Nigeria and Ethiopia to justice.
“This arrangement also recognises the critical role of
family support, language, culture and social connections in the rehabilitation
and reintegration of offenders, thereby facilitating opportunities for reform
and eventual reintegration into society,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu identified the Ethiopian facilities holding
the Nigerians as Kaliti Prison and Aba Samuel Prison.
At least four of the inmates have died, and several others
are critically ill, according to the minister.
“Your country will not desert you…your president knows you
are here,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu told the inmates at Aba Samuel Prisons during a
visit.
The minister shared videos of the inmates celebrating the
news of their imminent return to Nigeria, and assured that President Bola
Tinubu remains committed to the welfare and protection of Nigerian citizens
abroad.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com