Nigeria Urges Ethiopia To Finalise Agreement On Exchange Of Sentenced Persons.
The Federal Government has called on the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to expedite the signing of the long-pending Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Exchange of Sentenced Persons between the two countries.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the appeal during a meeting with the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile, at her office in Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed Nigeria’s growing concern over the continued delay in signing the MoU, despite earlier assurances during a bilateral meeting held on 6 March 2025. She revealed that Nigeria had already incorporated Ethiopia’s observations into the draft agreement, and queried the rationale behind the delay in its formal endorsement.
The Minister also voiced the Federal Government’s displeasure over the increasing cases of harassment and embarrassment faced by Nigerians, including those holding official and diplomatic passports, while transiting or residing in Addis Ababa.
Speaking with visible concern, Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the difficult conditions faced by Nigerian inmates in Ethiopian prisons, stating that many lacked access to adequate medical care. She disclosed that a Nigerian citizen recently died in custody, an incident she described as unacceptable and deeply distressing.
“As a government that remains strongly committed to citizen diplomacy, we do not want to hear that another Nigerian inmate has died in an Ethiopian prison,” she declared.
In addition to concerns over inmate welfare, the Minister addressed the unresolved issue of funds seized from Nigerian businessmen at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. She reminded the Ethiopian envoy that the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed, had granted amnesty at the 40th Session of the African Union Executive Council in February 2022 for all African travellers whose monies were seized due to non-declaration above the US$3,000 limit under then-applicable Ethiopian law.
Despite this gesture, Odumegwu-Ojukwu lamented that of the 25 Nigerian cases, only 15 had received approval for refund — and merely two individuals had actually received their money. She described the conditions imposed by the Ethiopian authorities for reimbursement as unnecessarily stringent.
She drew particular attention to the case of Mr Francis Chukwuma Uzoh, whose $70,000 was confiscated by Ethiopian authorities. Although Mr Uzoh had fulfilled all stipulated requirements, he has yet to be refunded after over two years.
“The case of Francis Uzoh is a clear example of what many of our citizens have endured. It is painful and unjust, especially given the assurances we were previously given,” the Minister said.
The Nigerian government, she affirmed, would continue to advocate for the protection of its citizens abroad and expects its diplomatic partners to honour their commitments in good faith and with urgency.
