President Tinubu asks the Senate to change prisoner laws so Nigerians convicted in foreign countries can complete jail terms at home.
President Bola Tinubu has sent an official law proposal to the Nigerian Senate asking lawmakers to change the country’s existing laws on prisoner transfers.
The main goal of this legal change is to allow eligible Nigerian citizens who have been tried and convicted of crimes in foreign countries to return to Nigeria and finish serving their jail sentences in local prisons.
The proposed legal change, named the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026, seeks to update an old national law known as Cap 216, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The official letter from President Tinubu was presented to lawmakers and read aloud by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during their main meeting in the Senate chamber on Tuesday.
In the official letter sent to the Senate leadership, President Bola Tinubu explained the main reason for sending the new law proposal:
“The Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act, Act Cap 216, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, to give effect to the provisions of any scheme or agreement for the transfer of convicted offenders between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the government of any other country.”
The President further clarified that this updated law will allow Nigeria to sign and carry out official prisoner-swapping deals with nations that are outside the Commonwealth group of countries.
He explained in the message that the bill would empower the Nigerian government to work closely with foreign countries to transfer prisoners back home, while also allowing Nigeria to honor similar requests when foreign governments ask to take back their own citizens who are jailed inside Nigerian prisons.
Explaining how the process will work once lawmakers pass the bill, President Tinubu wrote in his letter:
“The amendment would facilitate the implementation of agreements with countries outside the Commonwealth, expanding the legal framework for the transfer of convicted offenders.”
He added that the proposed legislation would empower the president to apply the new rules to any foreign country that signs an agreement with Nigeria through an official notice printed in the Federal Gazette.
This legal push comes at a time when several high-profile Nigerian citizens are serving prison sentences in foreign nations.
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Notable examples include former Delta State Governor James Ibori, former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, and Abidemi Rufai, who served as a former political aide to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Legal experts and government officials have made it clear that passing this law will not mean automatic release or automatic return for every Nigerian serving time in foreign jails.
Any transfer will strictly depend on the specific rules, eligibility requirements, and official diplomatic agreements signed between Nigeria and the foreign government involved.
Following the reading of the letter in the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill directly to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for detailed legal examination.
The committee is expected to review the details of the proposed bill and report back to the full Senate chamber for further debate and voting in the coming days.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
