The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has secured the release of a Nigerian pastor, Benjamin Egbaji, who had been detained in the Republic of Benin under reportedly dehumanising conditions for more than two years.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze. Egbaji, a cleric and businessman from Cross River State, was said to have been accused of multiple offences and initially detained at a hospital in Cotonou before being transferred to prison as his health deteriorated.
According to the minister, Egbaji was released on Thursday, January 8, following a presidential pardon granted by Benin Republic President Patrice Talon.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that the amnesty, which was formally gazetted on December 17, 2025, was the result of sustained diplomatic engagement by her office. She revealed that she had personally visited the detained pastor while he was hospitalised in August 2025.
She noted that a widely circulated photograph showing Egbaji chained to a hospital bed had sparked public outrage in Nigeria and prompted urgent diplomatic intervention.
“This release is the outcome of consistent and determined diplomatic action. We were deeply concerned about his condition and the circumstances surrounding his detention, and we took every necessary step to ensure he received justice and appropriate medical care,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
The minister credited the breakthrough to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign policy direction, particularly the administration’s emphasis on citizen diplomacy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This diplomatic success reflects President Tinubu’s strong commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad. The diaspora dimension of our foreign policy places the welfare of our citizens at the centre of diplomatic engagement,” she added.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also disclosed that she spoke with Egbaji by telephone shortly after his release, describing him as being in good spirits but in need of comprehensive medical attention.
“He is in high spirits, but after all he has endured, he deserves proper medical care,” she said.
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had formally appealed to Beninois authorities to release Egbaji on humanitarian grounds to enable him access medical treatment and, if necessary, serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria. The appeal followed a joint visit to the detained pastor by Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Benin Republic’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari.
In correspondence with Benin’s authorities, the ministry emphasised humanitarian considerations and the longstanding cordial relationship between both countries.
“In the spirit of our enduring friendship and humanitarian concern, we requested that Pastor Egbaji be repatriated to Nigeria to serve the remainder of his sentence,” the statement said, adding that his health had “deteriorated severely while in detention.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Republic of Benin chapter, Alhaji Mohammad Munir, praised the minister for her intervention and called for continued diplomatic efforts to support Nigerians detained abroad.
