Pedro Agbonifo Obaseki, a cousin of former Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has resolved to seek legal redress over what he described as his “brutal public abduction, assault and extra-judicial humiliation” in Benin City, Edo State.
In a statement on Sunday by his lead counsel, Femi Falana (SAN), Obaseki said the decision to institute civil and criminal proceedings followed extensive consultations with his family, legal advisers and respected elders within the Obaseki family and clan.
Recall that Obaseki, former Managing Director of Daar Communications, was reportedly attacked in December 2025, while playing football at Uwa Primary School in Benin City.
In a viral video, assailants were seen stripping him naked, beating him up, and dragging him through the streets to the palace of the Oba of Benin over alleged disrespectful comments made during a public event in London.
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But in a statement on Sunday, Pedro said his decision was not driven by vendetta or political motives but by the need to ensure accountability, deter future abuses and protect human dignity.
“Silence in the face of such grave violations would amount to complicity,” he said. He stressed that failure to act could expose other innocent citizens to similar abuses.
Obaseki recalled that on Sunday, December 28, 2025, he was forcibly abducted in public by armed individuals, violently assaulted and paraded through major roads in Benin City in broad daylight.
He said he was subsequently detained for several hours without any disclosed allegation or lawful charge, despite sustaining injuries during the attack.
Obaseki described the incident as terrorism-related violence under Nigerian law, citing the use of armed force, explicit threats to life and deliberate public intimidation.
“During the incident, the abductors reportedly claimed they were acting on the instructions of the Oba of Benin or the Oba’s Palace,” he said.
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However, BusinessDay reports that his claim has been formally denied by the Benin Traditional Council, which issued a widely publicised letter categorically refuting any involvement or prior knowledge of the act.
The statement said the legal action would target the direct perpetrators and any individuals found to have aided, facilitated or enabled the acts, whether through impersonation of authority, abuse of office or omission.
Beyond domestic remedies, Obaseki has also notified international human-rights bodies to ensure independent oversight and transparency in line with Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations.
He said the action was aimed not only at restoring his dignity and protecting his family but also at affirming that no individual or group has the right to abduct, brutalise or publicly dehumanise another outside the law.
