Addis Ababa|Forum of Horn Vision"HAPC"
Tuesday|June16,2026
In a move described as a “major humanitarian and diplomatic achievement”, Nigeria and Ethiopia concluded a bilateral agreement for the exchange of convicted persons. This agreement allows citizens of both countries serving prison sentences to move to their home countries to complete the remainder of their sentences. The agreement entered into force immediately in accordance with the local laws and international obligations of both parties.
The official signing ceremony took place in the Ethiopian capital, with high-level diplomatic support. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Nigerian side by the Minister of Justice, Latif Fagbemi, and under the supervision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odomego – Ojukwu.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ethiopian side by the Minister of Justice , Hana Araya Selassie, under the supervision of Foreign Minister Gideon Timothy.
As Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odomegwo – Ojukwu commented on the agreement , “This is a major diplomatic achievement based on humanity, justice, and international cooperation … We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives, and we are determined to bring home those who survived”. This agreement aims to rescue dozens of Nigerian nationals amidst dire humanitarian conditions , and more than 100 Nigerian citizens, including four women, are expected to benefit from this legal framework.
The official statement revealed the death of 4 Nigerian prisoners during the period of negotiations, judicial verification and ratification processes that preceded the signing, as the Nigerian Foreign Minister intends to conduct an inspection visit to the “Kaliti” and “Abba Samuel” prisons in Ethiopia to facilitate and expedite the transfer procedures.
Most of the Nigerians are being held in Kaleti prison in Addis Ababa, according to human rights reports cited by the newspaper (The Punch ) , since 2019, guests there have been facing severe crises related to overcrowding, lack of medical care.
Defense groups for detainees indicate that the majority of those arrested were detained at Bole International Airport on drug smuggling charges, amid allegations that some of them carried those substances without their knowledge.
On the other hand, a crisis described as “human warehouses” in Nigerian prisons coincided with this agreement, highlighting the dire situation within Nigerian detention facilities themselves. An 18- month independent investigation, the results of which were presented at a regional seminar of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, late March 2026, revealed the following facts, according to the Premium Times:
– Catastrophic overcrowding: Investigations have described Nigerian prisons as having turned into “human warehouses” with population density in some facilities exceeding 500% of their capacity.
– The detainees crisis: More than 70% of the total number of inmates are detainees pending trial and no final judgments have been issued against them yet.
– Suspicions of corruption: The investigation revealed that inmates often have to pay money to get a bed, secure a family visit, or even get transportation to the court.
