Former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has condemned the alleged assault on his cousin, Dr Pedro Obaseki.
Pedro was attacked by suspected thugs in Benin City on Sunday, December 28, 2025.
Pedro was reportedly assaulted while playing football at Uwa Primary School in the Igbesamwan area of the state capital.
He was stripped, brutalised, and forcefully taken to the Oba of Benin’s palace by the attackers.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Obaseki described the incident as a gross violation of fundamental human rights and a serious threat to the rule of law.
He called on security agencies to immediately investigate the matter and ensure that all those responsible were arrested and prosecuted.
The former governor expressed deep concern over reports linking the attack to the palace, describing such allegations as embarrassing and deeply troubling.
“I strongly condemn the violent attack, maiming and abduction of my cousin, Dr Pedro Obaseki, by armed thugs allegedly acting under instructions from a highly placed institution,” Obaseki said.
He noted that Pedro, a former Managing Director of DAAR Communications and a respected journalist, was subjected to physical assault, intimidation, and torture before being taken away.
Obaseki also referenced a viral video showing the victim in a distressed and stripped condition being escorted by armed individuals to the palace.
Warning against the rise of lawlessness, Obaseki said allowing thugs and non-state actors to act with impunity on behalf of powerful individuals could plunge society into anarchy.
The former governor urged security agencies to conduct a transparent investigation and appealed to human rights organisations, civil society groups, and Nigerians to speak out against what he described as a barbaric act and a grave abuse of human rights.
