ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to amend Nigeria’s law on the transfer of convicted offenders, seeking a broader legal framework for implementing prisoner-transfer agreements with other countries.
The proposed Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 were transmitted to the Senate on Tuesday, 27 October, in a letter read during plenary.
In the letter, Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration. The proposed amendment seeks to revise the existing legal framework governing the transfer of convicted persons between Nigeria and countries with which it has entered into relevant agreements.
Under the proposal, the President would be empowered to extend the law’s application to countries with which Nigeria has concluded prisoner-transfer agreements through an order published in the Federal Gazette.
The proposed provision would also cover countries outside the Commonwealth, potentially widening the scope of international cooperation on the transfer of convicted offenders. Such arrangements can provide a legal mechanism for eligible prisoners to serve their sentences in another participating jurisdiction, subject to the applicable agreements and legal requirements.
However, the proposed changes are not yet law. The bill must pass through the legislative process before any amendments can take effect. Following the President’s request, the Senate referred the bill to its Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The proposal marks another step in efforts to establish a legal basis for implementing relevant international prisoner-transfer agreements. The bill’s eventual impact will depend on its final provisions, the agreements Nigeria enters into, and the procedures adopted for approving and carrying out individual transfers.
Join the conversation