UK repatriates three prison inmates to Nigeria

The United Kingdom has repatriated three Nigerians in UK prisons under the prisoners exchange agreement signed by the two countries.

The convicts who were brought into the country earlier this year, have been remanded in an undisclosed prison in the country.

Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who said this while responding to questions from journalists in Abuja on Thursday, stated that more Nigerians in the UK prisons would still be transferred to local prisons in Nigeria before the end of the year.

“The prisoners exchange agreement is in place and the United Kingdom has repatriated three Nigerians in the UK prison since January this year and  more prisons would also be transferred. The programme would continue after the exit of this administration, there is a committee in place to ensure the sustenance of the programme,” he explained.

Responding to allegations of manipulation of the ongoing recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service by some applicants, Moro stated that his ministry has no hand in the conduct of the exercise, noting that the recruitment was being handled by the Presidential Committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, those accusing the interior ministry of manipulating the recruitment exercise were not being fair, stressing that the Presidential Committee was solely responsible for the process.

Moro regretted the loss of lives during the failed NIS recruitment exercise, describing it as “the lowest point for the ministry which has cast some clouds over the level of achievements by the ministry.”

He however insisted that if given another opportunity to handle the recruitment exercise, “I will do the same thing in a different manner,” adding that the ministry adopted a strategy to ensure a transparent recruitment process,but unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

He said, “The idea was to rid the exercise of corruption, job-for-money and money-for-job that was pervading everywhere. I plead with Nigerians and the families of the victims for understanding.”