A prominent indigene of Edo State, Dr Pedro Agbonifo Obaseki, has announced his decision to seek justice through the courts following what he described as the brutal public abduction, violent assault and extra-judicial humiliation of his person in Benin City, Edo State, on December 28, 2025.
In a statement yesterday, Obaseki said the decision was taken after extensive consultations with his wife and children, members of the Obaseki family and clan, senior legal advisers and respected elders.
He stressed that the move was driven, not by revenge or political motives, but by the need for accountability, deterrence and the protection of human dignity.
According to the statement, Dr Obaseki was forcibly seized in public by armed men in a broad daylight operation that he said was designed to instil fear in the wider population.
He was reportedly beaten, stripped, threatened with death and paraded along major roads in Benin City, while his ordeal was recorded and live-streamed by his attackers.
He was later detained for hours without any disclosed allegation or lawful charge, despite sustaining injuries. Obaseki described the incident as a grave violation of his fundamental rights and said the ordeal amounted to terrorism-related violence under Nigerian law, citing the use of armed force, explicit threats to life, public intimidation and the deliberate creation of fear beyond the immediate victim.
He disclosed that during the incident, his abductors claimed they were acting on the instructions of the Oba of Benin or the Oba’s Palace.
However, he confirmed that the claim had been formally and expressly refuted by the Benin Traditional Council, which issued a widely publicised letter categorically denying any involvement, authorisation or prior knowledge of the acts. Having accepted the clarification as the official position of the palace and noted it as part of the public record.
He emphasised that the legal actions underway were directed strictly at the individual perpetrators and any person who may be found, through due process, to have aided, facilitated or enabled the offences, whether through direct action, impersonation of authority, abuse of office or omission.
To pursue the matter, Obaseki said he consulted renowned human-rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), as lead counsel. He said both civil and criminal proceedings would be pursued concurrently, in line with Nigerian and international law and with full respect for the presumption of innocence.
Given the seriousness of the allegations and their wider implications for public safety and the rule of law, Obaseki also confirmed that he has formally notified and is engaging international human-rights bodies and partners.
Full Text
PRESS STATEMENT BY DR. PEDRO OBASEKI
ON THE ABDUCTION, ASSAULT, AND EXTRA-JUDICIAL HUMILIATION OF 28 DECEMBER
Dr. Pedro Agbonifo Obaseki hereby issues this statement following his *brutal public abduction, violent assault, stripping, dehumanization, and unlawful detention* in Benin City on Sunday, 28 December, 2025.
After *extensive and comprehensive consultations* with his wife and children, members of the Obaseki family and clan, senior legal advisers, and respected elders, Dr. Obaseki has taken the difficult but necessary decision to *seek justice through lawful and constitutional means.*
This decision was reached after deep personal reflection and family deliberation. It is motivated not by malice, vendetta, or political considerations, but by the imperative of *accountability, deterrence, and the protection of human dignity.* Silence, in the face of such grave violations, would amount to complicity and would expose other innocent, law-abiding citizens to similar abuses.
On the date in question, Dr. Obaseki was *forcibly abducted in public by armed individuals,* in a brazen attack designed to instil fear on other citizens, he was *violently assaulted, stripped naked, threatened with death,* and paraded through major public roads in broad daylight in Benin City, Edo State. The perpetrators *recorded and livestreamed the ordeal,* deliberately humiliating him and creating public fear. He was subsequently *detained for several hours despite his injuries,* without any disclosed allegation or lawful charge.
Dr. Obaseki states unequivocally that these acts constitute terrorism-related violence under Nigerian law, involving armed force, explicit threats to life, public intimidation, and the deliberate creation of fear beyond the immediate victim.
During the incident, the abductors claimed they were acting on the instructions of the Oba of Benin or the Oba’s Palace. *This claim has been expressly and formally refuted.* The *Benin Traditional Council,* acting on behalf of the Oba of Benin, issued a *widely publicised formal letter* categorically denying any involvement, authorisation, or prior knowledge of the criminal acts. Dr. Obaseki welcomes and accepts this clarification as the official position and notes it as part of the public record.
Accordingly, the legal processes now underway are directed at the *individual perpetrators and any persons found, through due process, to have aided, facilitated, or enabled the offences,* whether by action, omission, impersonation of authority, or abuse of office.
Dr. Obaseki has retained *Mr. Femi Falana, SAN,* one of Nigeria’s foremost human-rights lawyers, as lead counsel. Under his guidance, *appropriate civil and criminal proceedings* are being pursued concurrently, strictly within the bounds of Nigerian and international law and with full respect for the presumption of innocence.
Given the gravity of the violations and their wider public-interest implications, Dr. Obaseki has also *formally notified and is engaging international human-rights bodies and partners.* This is to ensure *independent oversight, transparency, and proper monitoring* of the investigative and judicial processes, in line with Nigeria’s constitutional obligations and international commitments.
This action is taken not only to restore the dignity of an innocent citizen and protect his family, but also to *deter future occurrences* and to affirm that *no individual or group may abduct, brutalise, or publicly dehumanise another outside the law.*
Out of respect for ongoing investigations and judicial proceedings, no further factual or evidentiary commentary will be made by Dr. Obaseki at this time.
_Signed,_
*_Dr. Pedro Obaseki_*
Through Counsel:
*_Mr. Femi Falana, SAN_*