JUST IN: Tinubu seeks senate approval to expand prisoner-transfer agreements beyond commonwealth

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to amend Nigeria’s law on the transfer of convicted offenders to allow the country to implement prisoner-transfer agreements with nations outside the Commonwealth.

Tinubu forwarded the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Amendment Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration, aiming to strengthen the legal framework for transferring convicted persons between Nigeria and other countries.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read the President’s letter during Tuesday’s plenary session.

In the letter, Tinubu urged lawmakers to fast-track consideration of the bill, expressing hope that it would receive prompt legislative attention.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Act, Cap. T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to support the implementation of agreements between the Federal Government and other countries on the transfer of convicted offenders.

According to the President, the amendment is designed to give effect to any scheme or agreement between Nigeria and another country’s government regarding the transfer of convicted persons.

One of the bill’s key provisions would empower the President to extend the law’s application to countries with which Nigeria has signed relevant agreements through an order published in the Federal Gazette.

Tinubu said the amendment would establish the legal foundation for implementing prisoner-transfer agreements with countries outside the Commonwealth, potentially expanding Nigeria’s options for negotiating and enforcing such arrangements.

The existing law provides a framework for transferring convicted offenders, while the proposed amendment seeks to extend the scope of these arrangements beyond Commonwealth countries, subject to agreements with the relevant nations.

Prisoner-transfer agreements generally allow convicted individuals to serve their sentences in another country under mutually agreed conditions. They also provide a legal framework for addressing the administrative and legal procedures involved in transferring offenders between jurisdictions.

However, the proposed amendment must be considered and passed by the National Assembly before it can become law.

Appealing for swift consideration, Tinubu wrote, “While it is my hope that the Senate will consider this submission expeditiously, please accept, Distinguished Senate President and Distinguished Senators, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

The bill was transmitted to the Senate in line with Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which outlines the President’s role in Nigeria’s legislative process.