FG Seeks Evacuation Of Ailing Nigerian Pastor From Benin

The Federal Government has expressed concern over the deteriorating health condition of a Nigerian national, Pastor Benjamin Egbaji, who is currently facing trial in the Republic of Benin.

In a statement by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Magnus Eze, yesterday, the government said Pastor Egbaji, a businessman and cleric from Cross River State, has been detained for about two years in a hospital in Cotonou under dehumanising conditions while his health continues to worsen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, therefore, called on the Benin authorities to release the Nigerian national, so that he could access proper medical treatment and serve out his sentence in Nigeria.

In the same vein, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said discussions with the Nigerian Mission in Cotonou indicated that Pastor Egbaji’s health is steadily worsening and that he needs urgent and proper medical attention.

She stated that the Ministry had made spirited efforts to rescue the troubled Egbaji in line with the citizen diplomacy thrust of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The minister, who in early August visited Egbaji in the Cotonou hospital alongside the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Bakari, disclosed that the ministry had requested the transfer of the Nigerian national to receive the deserved medical care and serve out his custodial term in Nigeria.

She explained that Nigeria was worried over the slow pace of the Benin authorities in addressing the situation and acceding to its request.

Noting the longstanding cordial relations between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, founded on shared cultural heritage, bonds of trust, mutual respect, and a spirit of brotherhood, she urged the country to consent to Nigeria’s request and accelerate the release of the detained Nigerian pastor.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu also disclosed that Nigeria’s position was further highlighted in a recent letter to the Republic of Benin Government.