18.1.2026
Don Pedro Agbonifo Obaseki said he is prepared to seek redress for the public humiliation he suffered in the hands of some Edo youths who on December 28, 2025, assaulted him while going about his business.
Obaseki said in a press statement Sunday that after consulting with his family and seeking legal advice he was pressing ahead with a suit against the individuals who subjected him to public ridicule claiming they were acting on behalf of the Oba of Benin.
He alleged that he was beaten, stripped naked, threatened with death and paraded along major roads in Benin City, while the incident was recorded and live streamed by his attackers.
Obaseki further stated that he was detained for several hours without any disclosed allegation or lawful charge, despite sustaining injuries during the incident.
He described the episode as a grave violation of his fundamental rights and said the acts amounted to terrorism-related violence under Nigerian law, citing the use of armed force, threats to life, public humiliation and intimidation.
He confirmed that the Benin Traditional Council had formally and publicly refuted the claim, issuing a letter categorically denying any involvement, authorisation or prior knowledge of the incident.
The Edo indigene stressed that the legal action would be directed strictly at the individual perpetrators and any persons who may be found, through due process, to have aided, facilitated or enabled the acts.
To pursue the matter, Obaseki said he had engaged renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, as lead counsel.
Don Pedro Obaseko...dehumanising.