The Federal Government has secured the release and repatriation of 136 Nigerians who were imprisoned in Ethiopia, nearly two years after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the government to intervene in their prolonged detention.
The breakthrough followed the signing of a Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Nigeria and Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on June 11, 2026. The agreement was signed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Hanna Arayaselassie, after negotiations between officials of both countries.
The agreement paved the way for the return of the 136 Nigerians, many of whom had spent years in Ethiopian prisons serving sentences for drug-related and immigration offences. The development implements the judgment delivered on November 14, 2024, in a suit that sought government intervention on behalf of Nigerians detained in Ethiopia.
Court records showed that more than 270 Nigerians were serving various prison terms in Ethiopia, with many held at Kaliti and AbaSamuel prisons in Addis Ababa.Reports of overcrowding, poor medical care, malnutrition and alleged abuse had raised concerns, especially following the deaths of some inmates, including Chizoba Favour Eze, Uchenna Nwanneneme and Basil Lawrence Ilobi.
In its ruling, the Federal High Court held that the Nigerian government had a statutory responsibility to facilitate the repatriation of its citizens, particularly after Ethiopian authorities acknowledged challenges in adequately caring for the inmates.
Although the judgment was delivered in 2024, implementation was delayed for several months, prompting families of the detainees to appeal to the Federal Government to conclude a prisoner transfer agreement with Ethiopia.
Diplomatic engagements intensified throughout 2025 and 2026, leading to the signing of the bilateral agreement earlier this month. Both Nigeria and Ethiopia described the agreement as one founded on the principles of humanity, justice and cooperation, paving the way for the transfer of the 136 Nigerians back to the country.
