President Bola Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to expand Nigeria’s legal framework for transferring convicted offenders between countries, opening the door for such agreements with nations outside the Commonwealth.
The proposal is contained in the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, transmitted to the House in a letter dated October 20, 2026.
In the communication addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the President urged lawmakers to consider the bill expeditiously.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the existing Transfer of Convicted Offenders Act, Cap. T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to enable Nigeria to implement agreements with countries beyond the Commonwealth.
Under the proposed amendment, the President would be empowered to extend the application of the law to any country with which Nigeria has entered into an agreement for the transfer of convicted offenders, through an order published in the Federal Gazette.
Tinubu said the amendment was intended to give effect to transfer schemes or agreements between Nigeria and other countries, thereby broadening the country’s scope for international cooperation in handling convicted offenders.
The President transmitted the bill pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, formally requesting the House’s consideration.
However, the presidential communication did not identify the countries that could benefit from the proposed arrangement or spell out the operational details of future agreements.
The bill is now before the House of Representatives for consideration.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
