President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approached the Nigerian Senate with a proposal to amend the country’s existing law on the transfer of convicted offenders, seeking to make it easier for the Federal Government to implement agreements with countries outside the Commonwealth.
The proposed amendment is expected to establish a clearer legal framework for transferring convicted persons between Nigeria and other countries with which the government has entered into relevant agreements.
The bill, transmitted to the Senate for consideration, is titled the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026. It seeks to modify the existing legislation governing the transfer of convicted offenders under Nigerian law.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio presented the president’s request to lawmakers through a letter read during plenary on Tuesday, formally bringing the proposed legislation before the upper chamber for consideration.
Following the presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The committee is expected to handle the next stage of the process before the proposed amendment proceeds through the Senate’s legislative procedures.
Tinubu seeks broader legal framework for prisoner transfers
In his correspondence to the lawmakers, Tinubu explained that the proposed changes were intended to provide the necessary legal backing for implementing arrangements between Nigeria and other countries concerning the transfer of convicted offenders.
The existing law, known as the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Act, Cap 216, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, provides the legal basis for matters covered by the legislation.
However, the president’s latest proposal seeks to establish a mechanism through which the law can be extended to countries that have entered into prisoner transfer agreements with Nigeria, including nations that do not belong to the Commonwealth.
Under the proposed amendment, the president would have the authority to extend the application of the legislation to any country with which Nigeria has concluded an agreement for the transfer of convicted offenders.
The extension would be carried out through an order published in the Federal Gazette, providing an official means of bringing the relevant country within the scope of the law.
The proposal therefore focuses on expanding the law’s reach to accommodate Nigeria’s agreements with other countries, rather than limiting its application to existing arrangements.
President explains purpose of proposed amendment
Tinubu stated in his letter that the amendment was intended to facilitate the implementation of agreements with countries outside the Commonwealth.
The proposal would provide the government with a legal mechanism for giving effect to such arrangements, subject to the applicable legislative provisions and the required official procedures.
Prisoner transfer agreements generally provide a framework under which convicted persons may be transferred between countries in accordance with the terms of the relevant agreement and applicable laws.
Such arrangements may address situations in which a person convicted of an offence in one country is transferred to another country under agreed conditions.
However, the precise circumstances in which a transfer may take place depend on the provisions of the relevant agreement and the laws governing the process.
Tinubu’s proposed amendment seeks to address the legal framework required for Nigeria to implement agreements with countries beyond the Commonwealth.
By empowering the president to extend the law through an order published in the Federal Gazette, the bill would establish a formal process for applying the legislation to countries covered by qualifying agreements.
The proposal is expected to be examined by lawmakers to determine its provisions and implications before the Senate decides on the next stage of the legislative process.
Akpabio refers bill to Senate committee
After reading the president’s letter during plenary, Akpabio referred the proposed legislation to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further action.
The referral marks the beginning of the Senate’s consideration of the bill following its formal transmission by the president.
The committee is expected to undertake the next stage of the legislative process in line with the Senate’s procedures. The bill must still undergo the necessary legislative consideration before it can be passed by the upper chamber.
Tinubu, in his letter, appealed to the lawmakers to give the proposal prompt attention.
“While it is my hope that the Senate will consider the submission expeditiously, please accept, Distinguished Senate President and Distinguished Senators, the assurances of my highest consideration,” the president said.
The request underscores the administration’s intention to secure legislative consideration of the proposed changes to the existing prisoner transfer framework.
Bill yet to receive Senate approval
Although the president has formally submitted the amendment bill, the proposal has not yet completed the legislative process.
Its referral to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business means that further action is required before the upper chamber can determine its position on the proposed changes.
The legislative process will establish whether the bill receives the necessary support to proceed towards passage.
If the amendment is passed by the National Assembly and receives the required presidential assent, it would become part of the legal framework governing the transfer of convicted offenders in Nigeria.
The proposed changes would specifically provide a mechanism for extending the application of the law to countries that have entered into prisoner transfer agreements with Nigeria, including those outside the Commonwealth.
Until the legislative process is completed, the existing law remains the applicable framework.
The Senate’s consideration of the bill will therefore determine the next steps towards the proposed expansion of Nigeria’s legal arrangements for transferring convicted offenders between countries.
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