Falana Demands Justice Following Brutal Assault on Pedro Obaseki

The Nigerian legal community is in an uproar following a violent altercation in Benin City that has left a prominent figure hospitalized and a senior advocate demanding immediate systemic accountability. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has officially broken his silence on the physical assault of Pedro Obaseki, the cousin of former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, characterizing the event as a calculated attempt on a citizen’s life by an organized criminal enterprise.

The incident, which occurred at the Uwa Primary School field on Igbesamwan Street, began as a routine afternoon of recreation. Pedro Obaseki was engaged in a football match when he was suddenly descended upon by a group of armed youths, suspected to be political thugs. According to eyewitness accounts and subsequent legal filings, the scene quickly devolved from a sporting event into a theater of violence that has sent shockwaves through Edo State’s political and social landscape.

Speaking with visible indignation during a recent broadcast on Arise Television, Femi Falana did not mince words regarding the gravity of the encounter. He argued that the ordeal was not merely a scuffle or a localized disagreement but a blatant violation of constitutional guarantees. Falana asserted that the actions taken against Pedro Obaseki constituted a criminal conspiracy designed to dehumanize and potentially eliminate a vocal member of the public.

Detailed reports of the assault suggest a level of coordination typical of paramilitary gangs. Falana highlighted that the victim was abducted from the field, forcibly stripped of his clothing, and subjected to a severe physical beating that left him “beaten to a pulp.” The human rights advocate emphasized that the psychological trauma of being paraded naked in public is a specific form of torture intended to strip a man of his dignity and personal liberty.

Perhaps most concerning to the legal team is the alleged use of high-caliber firearms during the incident. To prevent bystanders from intervening or coming to Obaseki’s aid, the attackers reportedly discharged weapons into the air. This display of force has raised critical questions about the proliferation of illegal arms in the region and the identity of the individuals who feel emboldened enough to open fire in a public school environment during broad daylight.

Falana has publicly questioned whether these individuals possessed any legal authorization to carry such weapons. He noted that the use of firearms transforms the incident from an assault into a life-threatening terrorist act. “We are going to find out whether they have licenses to bear arms,” Falana stated, vowing to peel back the layers of protection that often shield political enforcers from the consequences of their actions in Nigeria’s complex political terrain.

The controversy has been further inflamed by the subsequent handling of the case by local law enforcement. According to Falana’s account of the aftermath, Pedro Obaseki was taken to a police station following the beating. However, the procedural response from the authorities has been described as deeply flawed. The senior advocate lamented that the police failed to detain or even question the individuals who brought the injured and humiliated man to the station.

In a move that has baffled legal observers, Obaseki was reportedly the one held at the station while his attackers walked free without providing formal statements. This inversion of justice—where the victim faces scrutiny while the perpetrators vanish—is a central theme in Falana’s critique of the Nigerian security apparatus. He argues that this lack of immediate arrest emboldens criminal elements to act as “judge, jury, and executioner” on the streets of Benin City.

The timing of the attack has also raised eyebrows, coming as it does in a period of shifting political tides within Edo State. While the motivations behind the assault remain under investigation, the high-profile nature of the victim’s family name suggests a possible link to wider political vendettas. Falana, however, is keeping the focus strictly on the breach of fundamental human rights, insisting that no citizen, regardless of their family ties, should be subjected to such primitive treatment.

As the legal battle begins to take shape, the call for the Inspector General of Police to intervene has grown louder. Civil society groups are echoing Falana’s sentiments, demanding a transparent investigation that identifies not just the foot soldiers involved in the beating, but the financiers and masterminds who may have authorized the “hit.” The Uwa Primary School incident has now become a litmus test for the rule of law in the post-Obaseki governorship era.

For Pedro Obaseki, the road to recovery will be both physical and emotional. The scars of such a public humiliation run deep, and the legal team is prepared to pursue civil and criminal litigation to ensure that “the right to life and dignity” is more than just a phrase in the Nigerian constitution. Falana’s “blowing hot” serves as a warning to the state: the era of allowing criminal gangs to operate with impunity under the guise of political thuggery must come to a definitive end.