Citizen Diplomacy In Action As Odumegwu-Ojukwu Secures Freedom Of Nigerian Pastor In Benin
Quiet but persistent diplomacy has once again proven its power, as Nigeria successfully secured the release of a detained citizen whose plight had stirred public outrage across borders.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has facilitated the release of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji, a Nigerian cleric and businessman from Cross River State who had been incarcerated in the Republic of Benin under distressing conditions for more than two years.
Egbaji regained his freedom on Thursday, January 8, 2026, following a presidential pardon granted by Benin Republic’s President, Patrice Talon.
The amnesty, gazetted on December 17, 2025, came after sustained diplomatic engagement by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a visit by Odumegwu-Ojukwu to the ailing pastor at a Cotonou hospital in August last year.
The case gained international attention after images showing the frail pastor chained to a hospital bed went viral, sparking public anger and accelerating Nigeria’s diplomatic intervention.
His health had reportedly deteriorated significantly while in detention, prompting calls for urgent medical attention and humanitarian consideration.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu attributed the breakthrough to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to citizen diplomacy, a core pillar of Nigeria’s Four-Ds foreign policy framework under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
She disclosed that she spoke with Pastor Egbaji shortly after his release, describing him as being in high spirits but in need of proper medical care.
The development has drawn commendation from the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Benin Republic, whose chairman, Alhaji Mohammad Munir, praised the minister’s diplomatic tact and President Tinubu’s resolve to protect Nigerians abroad.
The release, observers say, underscores Nigeria’s renewed emphasis on safeguarding the rights and dignity of its citizens beyond its borders through dialogue, persistence and humanitarian diplomacy.
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