The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has facilitated the release of Nigerian pastor and businessman, Benjamin Egbaji, who was imprisoned in the Republic of Benin for over two years under alleged dehumanising conditions.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, it was disclosed that Egbaji, a native of Cross River State, was accused of multiple offences and initially detained at a hospital in Cotonou before being transferred to prison as his health worsened.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu revealed that the cleric was released on Thursday, January 8, following a presidential pardon granted by Benin Republic’s President, Patrice Talon. She explained that the amnesty, which was officially gazetted on December 17, 2025, came after sustained diplomatic engagement by her office.
The minister said her intervention included a visit to Egbaji in August 2025 while he was hospitalised, noting that a widely circulated photograph showing him chained to a hospital bed had sparked public outrage and prompted urgent diplomatic action.
“This release is the result of consistent and determined diplomatic engagement. We were deeply concerned about his health and the conditions of his detention, and we took all necessary steps to ensure he received justice and medical attention,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
She credited the success to President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy direction, particularly the administration’s emphasis on citizen diplomacy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This achievement reflects Mr President’s commitment to placing the welfare of Nigerians abroad at the centre of our foreign engagements,” she added.
The minister also disclosed that she spoke with Egbaji shortly after his release, describing him as being in good spirits but in need of proper medical care.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier appealed to Beninois authorities to release Egbaji on humanitarian grounds to enable him access medical treatment or, alternatively, to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria. This followed a joint visit to the detained pastor by Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari.
In official correspondence, the minister cited humanitarian concerns and the longstanding cordial relations between Nigeria and Benin, stressing that Egbaji’s health had deteriorated significantly while in detention.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Republic of Benin chapter, Alhaji Mohammad Munir, commended the minister’s intervention.
“Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu has demonstrated remarkable commitment to the welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora. We also commend President Tinubu and urge sustained diplomatic efforts to support other Nigerians incarcerated abroad,” he said.