Reps receive Tinubu’s bill to facilitate transfer of prisoners to foreign countries

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to the House of Representatives for consideration, seeking to strengthen the legal framework for transferring convicted offenders between Nigeria and other countries.

The bill was conveyed in a letter titled ‘Transmission of the Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill, 2026 for Consideration’, dated October 20, 2026, with reference number PRES/134-1/HR/45/EB.

The letter was addressed to the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, who read its contents during plenary on Tuesday.

In the letter, Tinubu said the bill was transmitted pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

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He said: “Pursuant to Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I forward herewith the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives.”

According to the President, the proposed legislation seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Act, Cap. T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to provide for arrangements to transfer convicted offenders between Nigeria and other countries.

Tinubu explained that the amendment would give effect to provisions in any scheme or agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and another country for the transfer of convicted offenders.

A key provision of the bill would empower the President to issue an order, published in the Federal Gazette, extending the Act’s application to any country with which Nigeria has concluded an agreement on the transfer of convicted offenders.

The proposed amendment also seeks to facilitate the implementation of such agreements with non-Commonwealth countries, expanding the scope of Nigeria’s existing legal framework.

Tinubu urged the House of Representatives to consider the bill expeditiously to enable the proposed amendments to take effect.