FG secures release of jailed Nigerian pastor in Benin after two years

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 9 January 2026 8:02am WAT

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The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

The Federal Government has facilitated the release of a Nigerian pastor, Benjamin Egbaji, who spent over two years in detention in the Republic of Benin under what officials described as harsh and degrading conditions.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, confirmed the development yesterday, following the grant of a presidential pardon by Benin Republic’s President, Patrice Talon.

The reprieve, which led to Egbaji’s release on January 8, 2026, was formally gazetted on December 17, 2025. A statement issued in Abuja by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, said Egbaji, a cleric and businessman from Cross River State, had been facing multiple charges before his detention.

He was initially held at a hospital in Cotonou, but was later transferred to prison as his health condition worsened. Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that the pastor’s release followed months of sustained diplomatic engagement by her office, including a personal visit to him while he was hospitalised in August 2025.

According to her, public outrage was heightened after a photograph showing Egbaji chained to a hospital bed circulated widely on social media, prompting urgent intervention by Nigerian authorities.

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