Obaseki’s Cousin Assaulted Over Alleged Slur Against Oba

The historical tensions between the Obaseki family and the Benin Traditional Council took a violent turn on Sunday when a mob of youths assaulted Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki in the heart of Benin City. The victim, a prominent Nollywood figure and cousin to former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, was reportedly playing football at the Uwa Primary School field when he was set upon by individuals accusing him of sacrilege against the monarch.

Witnesses described a scene of raw aggression as the group stripped Obaseki, labeling him an “Oghioba”—a term used to describe an enemy of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II. The assault was reportedly sparked by comments the victim allegedly made during a recent trip to the United Kingdom. These remarks, which circulated in viral snippets, were deemed by local loyalists to be deeply disrespectful to the ancient stool and the person of the monarch.

Footage of the incident, which has since gone viral across social media platforms, shows the distraught academic and filmmaker being dragged through the streets before being taken to the gate of the Oba’s Palace. The youths reportedly forced him to kneel and walk on his knees, presenting him to the palace guards and chiefs as an offender who needed to answer for his “disloyal” utterances abroad.

The timing of the confrontation added to the cultural gravity of the event. The Benin Kingdom is currently concluding the annual Igue Festival, a period of deep spiritual and traditional significance. At the time the mob arrived with their captive, Oba Ewuare II was attending a thanksgiving service at the Holy Arousa Church to mark the end of the festivities.

Palace chiefs, however, maintained a composed and dignified stance in the face of the mob’s frenzy. Rather than endorsing the street justice, the chiefs intervened to take custody of Obaseki, effectively removing him from the immediate reach of his attackers. They admonished the youths to refrain from causing disturbances within the kingdom during such a sacred season.

One of the senior chiefs was heard in the video advising the crowd to leave the matter to time and tradition. “We don’t want any trouble,” the official stated, emphasizing that if anyone truly considers themselves an enemy of the Oba, the consequences would reveal themselves naturally without the need for unauthorized violence. This intervention prevented the situation from escalating into a full-scale lynching within the palace precincts.

The attack has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights circles in Edo State. Marxist Kola Edokpayi, a well-known activist based in Benin, characterized the assault as a primitive violation of fundamental human rights. He argued that while traditional institutions deserve respect, the use of thuggery to enforce cultural loyalty is an affront to the constitutional protections afforded to every Nigerian citizen.

Edokpayi also took care to separate the actions of the mob from the official position of the palace. He noted that the Benin Traditional Council is an institution of peace and order and would never officially sanction the stripping and public humiliation of an individual in the streets. He called on security agencies to investigate the perpetrators to ensure that such acts of lawlessness do not become a tool for political or traditional vendettas.

The incident highlights the lingering fractures in Edo’s political and traditional landscape following the exit of the previous administration. Former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s tenure was marked by a highly publicized rift with the palace over the custody of repatriated Benin Bronzes and the management of traditional councils. Don Pedro Obaseki, as a vocal supporter of his cousin’s policies, has often found himself in the crosshairs of these deep-seated regional disputes.

For many in Benin City, the assault serves as a cautionary tale of how quickly online rhetoric can translate into physical violence in a city where traditional loyalty is fierce. While Dr. Obaseki has been safely escorted from the palace, the social repercussions of his alleged comments continue to ripple through the community, exposing the delicate balance between freedom of speech and the preservation of ancient cultural sensitivities.

As the Igue Festival comes to a close, the city remains on edge, with many calling for a de-escalation of hostilities. The police have yet to issue a formal statement on the arrests of the suspected thugs, but the viral nature of the evidence has put immense pressure on authorities to act. For now, the “Man of the People” is recovering from a day that turned a friendly game of football into a harrowing trial by ordeal at the gates of the kingdom.