The Federal Government said it had secured the release of 60 out of the 73 Nigerians serving various jail terms in Tanzanian prisons.
It said arrangements were being made by the Nigerian ambassador to Tanzania for their repatriation.
The Head, Media and Public Relations Unit, Nigeria in the Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
It said, “Ever before COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Mission had been working on repatriation of Nigerian prisoners in Tanzania.
“The Ambassador, Dr Sahobi Gada, was in Nigeria in January 2020, specifically for this purpose after having successfully secured a release of 60 out of 73 Nigerians in various prisons in Tanzania. Arrangements were then being made by the ambassador for their repatriation.”
According to Balogun, most of the convicts were arrested for alleged drug-related offences, while a few of the offences bordered on immigration law violations.
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He explained that the mission had been visiting other custodial facilities in Tanzania to check other Nigerians who might be serving jail terms, adding that it had also canvassed for amnesty for the prisoners on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
