No fewer than 750 Nigerians serving various jail terms in prisons across the United Kingdom may soon be heading back home to complete their jail terms.
On Thursday, Nigeria and the United Kingdom signed the Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) in Abuja.
There have been talks between both countries on the need to exchange prisoners to complete their terms in their home countries.
Nigeria’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and UK Minister of Justice; Mr. Jeremy Wright signed the agreement on behalf of their Governments.
The Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Viola Onwuliri, who coordinated the signing, said the next step will now be for experts from both countries to come up with the modalities for implementation of the agreement after which both countries will ratify for it to take effect.
UK Justice Minister, Wright had this to say about the agreement, “This is a good agreement for both Nigeria and UK. It gives us an opportunity to strengthen our partnership and friendship.
“It is also an opportunity to ensure that the prisoners which come from either country will serve their sentences in their own countries that is better for their rehabilitation.”
“It is difficult to be precise about figures of how many prisoners will be affected. But not all of them will be eligible for the transfer agreement.
“What we anticipate is that the Nigerian government will wish to identify a number of prisoners; we will be able to look at these prisoners and provide some assistance. That is a process that will be ongoing,” he said.
Wright assured that the UK government would demonstrate commitment towards implementing the agreement, saying that posited that it would benefit the prisoners by facilitating their rehabilitation and reintegration into the society should they be returned to their home countries to complete their jail terms.
According to him, such transfer would also reduce their chances of committing further crime in their host country and also remove obstacles that may impede their constitutional freedom when reintegrated into the society.
Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Adoke speaking in the same vein, promised that the Federal Government would remain “irrevocably committed to the welfare of Nigerians residing in the “It is therefore our expectation that in implementing the terms of this agreement, the government of the United Kingdom will continue to accord all convicted appropriate legal protection and remedies available under the UK laws and relevant international human rights instrument.
“As well as ensure that all legal remedies have been exhausted to the convicted offenders before they are transferred to Nigeria,” Adoke said.
