Nigeria Explains Ethiopia Prisoner Transfer Deal, Denies Viral Inmate List

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has defended its recent agreement with Ethiopia on the transfer of sentenced persons, saying the deal is aimed at allowing Nigerian inmates serving jail terms in the East African country to complete their sentences at home under more humane conditions.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the agreement aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s citizen diplomacy policy, which places the welfare of Nigerians abroad at the centre of the administration’s foreign policy.

The minister also dismissed as false a list circulating on social media claiming that 136 Nigerians were imprisoned in Ethiopia, describing both the figures and the crimes attributed to the inmates as fabricated.

According to her, only 98 Nigerian prisoners in Ethiopia’s maximum-security prisons are covered by the transfer arrangement.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that negotiations for the agreement had spanned several years due to difficulties in establishing the actual number of Nigerian inmates held in Ethiopia’s prison facilities, particularly the maximum-security prisons at Kaliti and Aba Samuel.

She said many of the prisoners had repeatedly appealed to the Nigerian government to facilitate their return home because of harsh living conditions, inadequate healthcare, poor feeding, limited access to legal services, language barriers and the absence of family visitation rights.

The minister disclosed that four Nigerian inmates died while the two countries were finalising the agreement, underscoring the urgency of the intervention.

She described many of the prisoners as young and vulnerable Nigerians who had fallen victim to criminal syndicates and made regrettable choices, insisting that they still deserved humane treatment despite their offences.

Addressing concerns that the transferred inmates could be released upon their return to Nigeria, the minister clarified that the memorandum of understanding expressly prohibits the granting of pardon or amnesty without the consent of Ethiopia, the sentencing state.

She also rejected attempts to portray the inmates as belonging predominantly to one ethnic group, stressing that criminality should not be ethnicised.

“A lot of them are from the South-East. There are also those from the South-West and South-South. At the end of the day, crime has no ethnicity. All these people are Nigerian citizens in a foreign jail,” she said.

The minister added that the government remains committed to pursuing similar interventions for Nigerians facing legal and humanitarian challenges in other parts of the world, reaffirming that the protection of citizens abroad remains a major pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy under the Renewed Hope administration.

Nigeria Explains Ethiopia Prisoner Transfer Deal, Denies Viral Inmate List

Heavy Gunfire, Explosions Reported Near Niamey Airport as Security Forces Deploy Across Capital

By: Zagazola Makama

Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported around Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on Thursday, triggering a major security response and heightened tension across the city.

Multiple security sources said the incident began in the early hours of the day, with sustained gunfire reportedly lasting for more than two hours.

The exact nature of the incident remained unclear as of press time, with authorities yet to issue an official statement on whether it was a terrorist attack, an armed assault on security installations or an attempted counter-coup operation.

Residents in several parts of the capital were advised to remain indoors while security forces moved to contain the situation.

Sources said a security cordon was established around key locations in the city, extending to the Hospital Roundabout, while heavily armed personnel and military equipment were deployed at multiple checkpoints on roads leading to the Presidential Palace.

Witnesses reported an increased presence of security forces across strategic areas of the capital as authorities sought to restore calm and prevent any escalation.

Diori Hamani International Airport, which hosts Air Base 101, is regarded as one of Niger’s most strategic security installations and is located about 10 kilometres from the Presidential Palace.

The facility was previously targeted during an attack attributed to suspected Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and ISWAP fighters on Jan. 28 and 29, 2026.

However, there was no immediate indication that Thursday’s incident was linked to the earlier attack, and no group had claimed responsibility as of the time of filing this report.

Sources said the situation was gradually stabilising, although security operations remained ongoing across the city.

Authorities are expected to provide further details as investigations continue.

Heavy Gunfire, Explosions Reported Near Niamey Airport as Security Forces Deploy Across Capital

Troops Recover Rustled Cow, Rescue Driver from Mob Attack in Kaduna

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have recovered a rustled cow and rescued a driver from an attempted mob attack following a cattle rustling incident in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Security sources said troops of Sub-Sector 6 responded to a distress call at about 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday following reports of cattle rustling at Wuro Goshe Village.

According to the sources, the suspected rustlers fled the scene upon sighting the troops, abandoning a vehicle loaded with a cow believed to have been stolen.

The troops subsequently rescued the driver of the vehicle from an attempted lynching by angry youths who had gathered at the scene.

The driver was evacuated to the Jaji Military Cantonment Medical Centre for treatment.

The recovered cow was later identified and handed over to its rightful owner, while the abandoned vehicle remains in military custody pending further investigation and necessary action.

Security agencies are continuing efforts to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Troops Recover Rustled Cow, Rescue Driver from Mob Attack in Kaduna