The Nigerian government has raised concerns over the deteriorating health and detention conditions of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji, a clergyman from Cross River State, who has been held in the Republic of Benin for nearly two years on rape allegations.
Egbaji was arrested in May 2023 after a Beninese woman, Mrs. Pede Victoire, accused him of raping her daughter, Ahouandjinou Dona Sarah, when she was 13. However, the alleged victim later publicly denied that the incident ever took place. Despite this, the pastor has remained in detention, and his case is currently under appeal.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who led a delegation to visit Egbaji at the Central National Hospital Universitaire in Cotonou, described the conditions she witnessed as “deeply heartbreaking.” She revealed that the ailing pastor, who suffers from hypertension, was chained to his hospital bed despite being in critical condition.
According to medical reports, his blood pressure had soared to 254/136, prompting the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Hubert K. Maga, to warn that without urgent release and proper medical care, Egbaji could face life-threatening consequences within weeks.
“I was shaken by the sight that confronted me. He was in chains, lying helplessly in a hospital ward, and broke down in tears upon seeing us,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu recounted.
The minister assured the clergyman that the Nigerian government was committed to securing justice for him, stressing that his country had not abandoned him. She added that the visit was made possible through the cooperation of the Beninese Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, who granted the Nigerian delegation swift access.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that the allegations against Egbaji were never formally reported nor supported with credible evidence, raising further questions about the circumstances of his prolonged detention.
“The government is exploring all available diplomatic channels to ensure justice is done,” she stated, while expressing gratitude to Beninese authorities for their cooperation.
Pastor Egbaji’s detention has now drawn increased diplomatic attention, with Nigeria pressing for both medical intervention and due legal process in his case.
