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Inside Edo
Pedro Obaseki denies Benin palace involvement in assault, recounts traumatic ordeal
Written By: Ehioze Gilbert
29 Dec 2025 06:03 AM
Benin, Edo – Nollywood filmmaker and cultural advocate Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki emphatically stated that his assailants were not acting on behalf of the Oba of Benin's palace, describing himself as "traumatized and distraught" following a brutal assault and public humiliation the previous day.
In video clip on Sunday from an AIT interview, Obaseki asserts, "From the countenance of the chiefs I met at the palace, it was clear that they did not send these people on this message. So, this elemental brigandage has to stop!"
The incident unfolded on Sunday, December 28, around 11:00-11:30 a.m., when Obaseki, a cousin of former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, was playing football with the Uwa All Stars at Uwa Primary School in Benin City.
According to his detailed account, the field was invaded by armed assailants, some wielding guns and others identified as known thugs who abducted him under the pretext of palace orders. Obaseki demanded identification, but none was provided.
He was severely beaten, stripped naked in public, and dragged through streets including Igbesawan Street, Akpakpava Road, and Ring Road before being forced to kneel and walk on his knees at the Oba of Benin's palace.
The alleged trigger for the attack was a perceived cultural slight during a recent event in London, where Obaseki reportedly said, "Edo gha to’kperewa" (May Edo people live long and prosper), omitting the traditional "Oba gha to’kpere" (May the Oba live long and prosper).
Obaseki, a Benin native who has spent 35-40 years promoting Benin heritage through his work as an actor, university lecturer, and poet, called this accusation a "cardinal sin" but emphasized his lifelong service to his culture. "I am who I am because of my nativity, my Beninness. I have served my culture," he stated in the interview.
After the palace ordeal, he was taken to a police station on Oba Market Road, where the Edo State Commissioner of Police intervened, visiting him multiple times and securing his release.
This event occurs amid lingering tensions between the Benin monarchy and the Obaseki family, rooted in disputes during Godwin Obaseki's governorship. Key issues included the repatriation of Benin Bronzes looted by British forces in 1897, which the Oba claimed as palace property, clashing with the former governor's proposal for a privately managed Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).
Other conflicts involved a ban on Okaigheles (youth leaders) to curb cultism, rejected by the palace as contrary to tradition, and allegations of withheld allocations and land revocations.
The current administration under Governor Monday Okpebholo has restored palace entitlements, signaling a shift in support.
Obaseki himself reiterated in the AIT clip that palace chiefs appeared unaware of the attackers' claims, urging an end to such "brigandage."
As of December 29, no official statement has been released by the Benin Palace or Edo State Police Command regarding arrests or further inquiries.
The incident raises broader questions about the intersection of cultural traditions, political rivalries, and human rights in Nigeria's evolving democracy.
In video clip on Sunday from an AIT interview, Obaseki asserts, "From the countenance of the chiefs I met at the palace, it was clear that they did not send these people on this message. So, this elemental brigandage has to stop!"
The incident unfolded on Sunday, December 28, around 11:00-11:30 a.m., when Obaseki, a cousin of former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, was playing football with the Uwa All Stars at Uwa Primary School in Benin City.
According to his detailed account, the field was invaded by armed assailants, some wielding guns and others identified as known thugs who abducted him under the pretext of palace orders. Obaseki demanded identification, but none was provided.
He was severely beaten, stripped naked in public, and dragged through streets including Igbesawan Street, Akpakpava Road, and Ring Road before being forced to kneel and walk on his knees at the Oba of Benin's palace.
The alleged trigger for the attack was a perceived cultural slight during a recent event in London, where Obaseki reportedly said, "Edo gha to’kperewa" (May Edo people live long and prosper), omitting the traditional "Oba gha to’kpere" (May the Oba live long and prosper).
Obaseki, a Benin native who has spent 35-40 years promoting Benin heritage through his work as an actor, university lecturer, and poet, called this accusation a "cardinal sin" but emphasized his lifelong service to his culture. "I am who I am because of my nativity, my Beninness. I have served my culture," he stated in the interview.
After the palace ordeal, he was taken to a police station on Oba Market Road, where the Edo State Commissioner of Police intervened, visiting him multiple times and securing his release.
This event occurs amid lingering tensions between the Benin monarchy and the Obaseki family, rooted in disputes during Godwin Obaseki's governorship. Key issues included the repatriation of Benin Bronzes looted by British forces in 1897, which the Oba claimed as palace property, clashing with the former governor's proposal for a privately managed Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).
Other conflicts involved a ban on Okaigheles (youth leaders) to curb cultism, rejected by the palace as contrary to tradition, and allegations of withheld allocations and land revocations.
The current administration under Governor Monday Okpebholo has restored palace entitlements, signaling a shift in support.
Obaseki himself reiterated in the AIT clip that palace chiefs appeared unaware of the attackers' claims, urging an end to such "brigandage."
As of December 29, no official statement has been released by the Benin Palace or Edo State Police Command regarding arrests or further inquiries.
The incident raises broader questions about the intersection of cultural traditions, political rivalries, and human rights in Nigeria's evolving democracy.
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