Ibori to complete jail term in Nigeria.

The Nigerian and United Kingdom authorities have signed an agreement for the exchange of prisoners between them. Under this agreement, high-profile prisoners like former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, and other Nigerians in the UK prisons will be transferred to Nigeria to complete their jail terms.

The UK Minister of Justice, Mr. Jeremy Wright, signed on behalf of his country while the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, signed for Nigeria in Abuja. Wright, who visited the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, and the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, said, “In relation to individual prisoners, there has to be a good deal of discussion between our two countries about individual prisoners and the agreement of both countries to be secured before individual transfers.

The compulsory nature of this prisoner transfer agreement is that the prisoners’ themselves do not have to choose where they go or not but the respective countries do still have an opportunity to discuss whether a transfer should be made.’’ Responding, Onwuliri said, “We have been on the prisoners agreement for a long time and we are happy that we are beginning the year on a happy note by signing this agreement”.