KEY POINTS
-
Tinubu sends the convicted offenders amendment bill to the Senate.
-
The proposal covers agreements with Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries.
-
The Senate Committee on Rules and Business will consider the bill.
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill 2026 to the Senate for consideration, seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for transferring convicted persons between the country and other nations under international agreements.
The proposed legislation is intended to amend the existing law to make it easier for Nigeria to implement agreements with foreign countries on the transfer of convicted offenders.
In a letter read during plenary on October 27, 2026, Tinubu explained that the proposed amendment would provide a legal basis for facilitating the transfer of convicted offenders between Nigeria and countries with which it has entered into relevant international agreements.
The proposed changes are expected to support cooperation between Nigeria and other countries in implementing arrangements concerning convicted persons.
The bill would also empower the President to extend the application of the law to additional countries through an order published in the Federal Gazette, provided Nigeria has entered into the relevant agreements with those nations.
Non-Commonwealth countries included
One of the key provisions of the proposed amendment is the potential extension of the law to countries outside the Commonwealth.
Under the proposal, Nigeria would be able to apply the legislation to non-Commonwealth countries with which it has established appropriate agreements. This would give the government a mechanism to formally extend the law’s reach beyond its existing scope, subject to the required international arrangements.
The proposed amendment could therefore broaden the range of countries with which Nigeria can implement agreements on the transfer of convicted offenders.
However, the bill has not yet been passed into law, and its provisions remain subject to legislative consideration.
Senate committee to review proposal
Tinubu urged the Senate to give the bill expeditious consideration, signalling the administration’s desire to move the proposal through the legislative process without unnecessary delay.
Following the President’s request, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The committee will handle the next stage of the process before any subsequent steps required for the bill’s consideration and passage.
The proposal forms part of the legal framework governing Nigeria’s cooperation with foreign countries on matters involving convicted offenders. Its eventual passage would depend on the outcome of the National Assembly’s legislative process.
