Tinubu Proposes Bill for International Prisoner Transfers

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Amendment Bill, 2026, to the Nigerian Senate. The bill, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, aims to amend the existing Transfer of Convicted Offenders Act, Cap.

T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. It allows the President to extend the Act's provisions to any country with which Nigeria has a prisoner-transfer agreement, enhancing the legal framework for transferring convicted offenders to and from non-Commonwealth countries.

Tinubu stated that the amendment would facilitate the implementation of agreements with foreign governments regarding the movement of convicted persons. He urged the Senate to treat the bill as urgent, expressing hope for its expeditious consideration.

The bill was transmitted under Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and must undergo the National Assembly's legislative process before becoming law.