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.
The President transmitted the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Amendment Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read Tinubu’s letter during plenary on Tuesday, with the President urging lawmakers to give the proposed legislation expeditious consideration.
The bill seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Act, Cap. T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to strengthen the legal framework for transferring convicted persons between Nigeria and other countries.
Under the proposed amendment, the President would be empowered to extend the application of the Act to countries with which Nigeria has reached relevant agreements through an order published in the Federal Gazette.
The amendment is intended to provide a legal basis for implementing prisoner-transfer arrangements beyond the Commonwealth, subject to agreements with the countries concerned.
Such arrangements allow convicted persons to serve their sentences in another country under agreed conditions and provide a framework for addressing the legal and administrative issues involved in transferring prisoners between jurisdictions.
The bill was transmitted to the Senate in accordance with Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. It must be considered by the National Assembly before it can become law.
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