BENIN CITY – Prominent Edo indigene Dr. Pedro Agbonifo Obaseki has announced his intention to seek legal redress following what he describes as his “brutal public abduction” and assault in Benin City late last year.
In a strongly worded press statement released recently, Dr. Obaseki confirmed that he has retained the services of renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, as lead counsel to spearhead the legal battle.
The decision to approach the courts comes weeks after the incident on December 28, 2025. Dr. Obaseki stated that the move was made following extensive consultations with his immediate family, the wider Obaseki clan, senior legal advisers, and respected elders in the state.
He emphasized that his pursuit of justice is not driven by a desire for revenge or political motives. Instead, he framed the legal action as a necessity for “accountability, deterrence, and the protection of human dignity.”
Allegations of Public Humiliation and Human Rights Violations
According to the statement, the events of December 28 involved a brazen daylight operation. Dr. Obaseki alleged that he was forcibly seized in public by armed men in an act designed to instill fear in the populace.
The statement details a harrowing ordeal where Dr. Obaseki was reportedly beaten, stripped naked, and paraded along major roads in Benin City. He noted that the assault was recorded and live-streamed by his attackers, further compounding the “extra-judicial humiliation.” Following the public assault, he was allegedly detained for several hours without any disclosed allegations or lawful charges, despite having sustained injuries.
Claims of Palace Involvement
In a sensitive disclosure included in the statement, Dr. Obaseki alleged that during the incident, his abductors explicitly claimed they were acting on the instructions of the Oba of Benin or the Oba’s Palace.
Describing the incident as a grave violation of his fundamental human rights, Dr. Obaseki asserted that the actions of his attackers amounted to “terrorism-related violence” under Nigerian law. He cited the use of armed force, explicit threats to life, public intimidation, and the deliberate creation of fear as grounds for this classification.
As the legal process begins, the involvement of Femi Falana, SAN, signals a high-profile legal battle ahead as Dr. Obaseki seeks to address the alleged injustices suffered during the December incident.
