Bola Tinubu Sends Prisoner Transfer Bill to National Assembly

President Bola Tinubu transmitted the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to the Senate and the House of Representatives for consideration. The proposed legislation aims to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Act of 2004, which currently limits such agreements to Commonwealth nations.

If passed, the amendment would grant the president authority to implement prisoner-transfer agreements with any country through an order published in the Federal Gazette. In letters dated October 20, 2026, addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Tinubu urged lawmakers to consider the submission expeditiously to broaden international cooperation on the transfer of convicted offenders.