The Federal Government has successfully secured the release of Nigerian national Pastor Benjamin Egbaji, who was serving a 10-year prison sentence in the Republic of Benin.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced that Egbaji regained his freedom on Thursday, January 8, following a presidential pardon granted by Benin’s President Patrice Talon. The release was the result of months of intensive diplomatic engagement by Nigeria.
Egbaji, a businessman and cleric from Cross River State, was convicted in July 2024 for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl, Bright Sarah Karls, in 2011. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $3,300 to the victim and another $3,300 to the Benin National Institute for Women’s Affairs. During his detention, Egbaji was initially confined under severe conditions at a hospital in Cotonou, where his health reportedly deteriorated over more than two years before he was eventually transferred to prison.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the pardon as the culmination of persistent diplomatic pressure, including her personal visit to Egbaji in August 2025. She recalled that a viral photograph showing him chained to a hospital bed had sparked outrage among Nigerians, prompting urgent action from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The minister credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to citizen diplomacy, which she described as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s foreign policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda. She highlighted the Diaspora component of the Four-Ds foreign policy framework, Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development, which emphasizes the protection of Nigerians abroad and the importance of ensuring their welfare.
Speaking shortly after Egbaji’s release, Odumegwu-Ojukwu confirmed she had spoken with him by telephone, noting that he was in high spirits but required urgent medical attention. She explained that the Nigerian government had repeatedly requested that Benin authorities either release Egbaji on humanitarian grounds or allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria, where he could access better medical care.
These appeals were made during her visit to the hospital in Cotonou alongside Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, and through subsequent formal diplomatic communications. In one letter to her Benin counterpart, Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted Egbaji’s contributions to the country over more than three decades as an entrepreneur, pastor, and community leader. She also cited the recommendation of two independent medical experts who advised that he be transferred abroad for urgent treatment, as available medical interventions in Benin had proven insufficient.
The minister emphasized, "In the spirit of our longstanding friendship and in recognition of the humanitarian imperative, we kindly request that Pastor Egbaji be repatriated to Nigeria to serve out the remainder of his sentence in a Nigerian Correctional Centre." She added that such a gesture would reinforce the enduring bonds of cooperation and fraternity between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
In response to the development, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, NIDO, Benin Republic chapter, Alhaji Mohammad Munir, praised Odumegwu-Ojukwu for her exceptional diplomatic effort. He also commended President Tinubu for prioritizing the welfare of Nigerians abroad and urged the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic efforts to secure the release of other Nigerians unjustly incarcerated in foreign countries.
The release of Pastor Egbaji highlights the effectiveness of proactive citizen diplomacy and underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad while balancing humanitarian considerations with international legal frameworks.
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