Nigerians held in Ethiopian prisons as transfer agreement stalls
Efforts to repatriate Nigerians serving jail terms in Ethiopia have stalled as delays persist in finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both countries.
The agreement, once ratified, would allow convicted Nigerians to complete their sentences at home. But despite months of diplomatic engagement, the Ethiopian government has yet to approve it.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the Nigerian government had already completed its part.
“The ministry has fulfilled its own side of the formalities for the Transfer of Sentenced Persons MoU. It is the Ethiopian side that is stalling,” she said through her media aide, Magnus Eze.
According to official figures, more than 270 Nigerians are currently serving prison terms in Ethiopia, mostly for drug-related offences.
Families and rights groups have repeatedly raised alarm over poor prison conditions. Last week, Ambassador Onwuka Collins, President-General of the My Dreamalive Development Foundation, described the situation as “deplorable.”
“It is sad that some Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons have already died due to these harsh conditions, while others are suffering from illnesses, including kidney stones and stroke,” he said. “We cannot continue to watch helplessly as our brothers languish in prison without a fair trial.”
In November 2024, a Federal High Court ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission to facilitate their return. The court also noted Ethiopia’s admission that it lacked the budget to care for foreign inmates.
On April 17, 2025, Odumegwu-Ojukwu led a delegation to meet Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile, urging Ethiopia to fast-track the MoU.
The ambassador admitted the agreement was still awaiting ratification by Ethiopia’s House of Representatives.
Deaths have already been recorded among inmates. In March 2023, Favour Eze died in Kaliti Prison after alleged brutality by officials, while Uchenna Nwanneneme died in September 2023 from tuberculosis.
