The Digest:
Pedro Obaseki, former managing director of Daar Communications and cousin to ex-governor Godwin Obaseki, has detailed the harrowing assault he suffered after being abducted while playing football in Benin City. In a viral video, he was seen beaten, stripped naked, and dragged to the Oba of Benin’s palace, where he was forced to kneel at the gate.
Key Points:
- Obaseki was attacked at a football field in Uwa Primary School by armed assailants
- He was beaten, stripped, and paraded through major streets before being taken to the palace
- He was forced to kneel publicly at the palace gate before being released
- He believes the attack was linked to a speech he gave in London that honored the Edo people instead of the Oba
- Obaseki stated the palace likely did not sanction the assault based on their reaction
- He was taken to Oba Market Police Station and later released on the commissioner’s order
- The incident has left him traumatized and questioning his lifelong promotion of Benin culture
Sources: Premium Times, The Nation
