Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has assured Benjamin Egbaji, a Nigerian pastor serving a 10-year prison sentence in the Republic of Benin, that the Federal Government has not abandoned his case.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu gave the assurance on Saturday, August 2, during a visit to Egbaji at the Akpro-Misserete Prison, where he has been held for two years. The pastor was convicted in July 2024 on charges of raping a 13-year-old girl, Bright Sarah Karls, and ordered to pay $6,600 in fines and compensation. He is currently appealing the judgment.
According to a statement by her spokesman, Dr. Magnum Eze, the Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to citizen diplomacy under the Renewed Hope Agenda’s 4-Ds foreign policy—Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development. She told Egbaji that President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians were aware of his plight and that efforts were ongoing to secure justice.
“It’s not a hopeless situation; we must do everything to ensure that you get justice. We are following due process to ensure you don’t suffer unduly. Your suffering will soon be over; just be a little more patient for the processes to be concluded,” she said.
Egbaji, who reportedly wept during the visit, drew attention to his deteriorating health, including persistently high blood pressure.
The pastor’s legal troubles began in 2023 following a protracted dispute with a former church member, Pede Victoire, who allegedly targeted him after he rejected her alleged advances. Although he was acquitted in one case she initiated, he was rearrested outside the court on the separate rape allegation.
The President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Benin, Alhaji Mohammad Munir, commended Odumegwu-Ojukwu for her intervention, praising her dedication to the welfare of Nigerians abroad and urging stronger diplomatic efforts to assist citizens facing wrongful incarceration.
