- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has raised concerns over Pastor Benjamin Egbaji from Cross River, who has been imprisoned in Benin Republic for two years on r@pe charges.
- She said he is detained under unclear circumstances and now in poor health, recounting how she found him chained to a hospital bed in Cotonou.
- Ojukwu assured him of Nigeria’s intervention, stressing that the Tinubu administration is prioritizing citizen diplomacy and will use all diplomatic channels to ensure justice.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has drawn attention to the plight of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji from Cross River, who has been in prison in Benin Republic for two years on r@pe charges.
She said he is being held under unclear circumstances and is now in poor health.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu visited him at the Central National Hospital Universitaire alongside officials from the ministry and the Nigerian Embassy.
“I was shaken by the sight that confronted me as I walked into the hospital ward in Cotonou where he is presently receiving treatment,” Ms. Ojukwu wrote. “He was in chains even in the hospital, and upon seeing me, he broke down in tears.”
Ms Ojukwu assured Egbaji that the Nigerian government would intervene in his case.
She wrote: “‘Your Country has not abandoned you’, I reassured him. Your government is committed to ensuring that justice is done in this matter.”
Narrating what led to his imprisonment, Ms. Ojukuw wrote: “The accusations against Pastor Benjamin were made by Pede Victoire, a citizen of Benin who claimed that Benjamin has r@ped her daughter, Ahouandjinou Dona Sarah, when she was just 13 years old.
“This claim, however, was never reported or complained about, and no evidence has been presented to substantiate these allegations.
“The situation took a surprising turn when Sarah herself came forward and refuted the claim of r@pe.
“The matter is presently on appeal.
“Citizen Diplomacy is at the core of the foreign policy thrust of this Administration. The President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated that the interests and welfare Nigerian nationals in distress, wherever they may be, outside the shores of their homeland must be given top priority.
“Consequently, the government is exploring all options and utilising all diplomatic ties and channels available to ensure that justice is done in the case of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji.
“We also extend our thanks to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Justice and the Government of Benin for the kind courtesies entended to our delegation by facilitating this access to Pastor Benjamin Egbaji within such short notice.”
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