- FG Demands Release Of Pastor Egbaji From Benin Detention
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The government says his health is deteriorating under inhumane conditions.
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Diplomatic talks are ongoing to secure his medical transfer to Nigeria.
The Federal Government has raised alarm over the worsening health condition of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji, a Nigerian cleric and businessman from Cross River State, who has been detained in the Republic of Benin for nearly two years.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a statement issued on Tuesday by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the government said Pastor Egbaji is being held under dehumanising conditions in a Cotonou hospital where his health has continued to deteriorate.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, expressed concern about his condition and called for his immediate release or transfer to Nigeria for proper medical care.
“Discussions with the Nigerian Mission in Cotonou indicate that Pastor Egbaji’s health is steadily worsening and that he needs urgent medical attention,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said. “The Ministry has made spirited efforts to rescue him in line with the citizen diplomacy thrust of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The minister revealed that during her visit to Cotonou in August alongside Benin’s Foreign Minister, Olushegun Bakari, Nigeria formally requested Egbaji’s transfer for medical treatment and rehabilitation. However, she expressed frustration over the slow response from the Beninese authorities.
“Nigeria is worried about the delay by the Benin government in responding to our request,” she said, urging the neighbouring nation to act in the spirit of long-standing friendship and cooperation between both countries.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu confirmed that a formal diplomatic letter had been sent to Benin reiterating Nigeria’s request for Egbaji’s release or transfer. She assured that the ministry would sustain diplomatic efforts until the matter is resolved in line with international human rights standards.
“No Nigerian should be left to suffer in a foreign land without justice or medical care,” she added.
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