In what was described as a “historic” agreement by Nigerian officials,
Nigeria and the UK have put pen to paper on a prison exchange deal
that would see high profile Nigerian inmates (serving jail terms in UK
prisons) return home to complete their sentences.
The UK Minister of Justice, Mr. Jeremy Wright, signed on behalf of his
country while the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the
Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, signed for Nigeria in Abuja.
Among the high profile Nigerian prisoners who should return home to
complete their prison terms is former Governor of Delta State, James
Onanefe Ibori, who was convicted of financial crimes in the UK in April
2012 and bagged 13 years behind bars.
“The agreement reached today is a positive step in furthering our mutual
relationship and partnership with Nigeria for prisoner exchange. Under
the agreement Nigerians in UK prisons will be repatriated to Nigeria to
complete their terms”, Mr Wright told newsmen in Abuja.
He continued; “In relation to individual prisoners, there has to be a good
deal of discussion between our two countries about individual prisoners
and the agreement of both countries to be secured before individual
transfers.
“The compulsory nature of this prisoner transfer agreement is that the
prisoners’ themselves do not have to choose where they go or not but
the respective countries do still have an opportunity to discuss whether
a transfer should be made.”
Nigeria’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Viola Onwuliri said;
“We have been on the prisoners agreement for a long time and we are
happy that we are beginning the year on a happy note by signing this
agreement”.
Nigeria’s acting Minister of Interior, Abba Moro said; “I think that it is in
the mutual interest of the two countries that the agreement reached
should be implemented to the letter especially with the kind of traditional
historical relationship that Nigeria shares with the UK; we have no
reason to say one thing and do another.
“This government, anchored on transformation, is desirous of ensuring
that we do things very differently from the way we were doing them in
the past which have not given us results.”
Nigeria is currently grappling with prison congestion and the UK will
assist the country with about £1m for upliftment of the inhumane
conditions in Nigerian prisons, as part of the deal. The agreement
stipulates that Nigerian prison conditions have to be improved upon.
Close to 600 Nigerians currently serve jail terms in the UK while only one
Briton is holed up in a Nigerian prison.
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