Nollywood filmmaker and former Managing Director of Daar Communications, Don Pedro Obaseki, has recounted a distressing incident that occurred on 28 December 2025 in Benin City, Edo State. While playing football at UBA Primary School, he was attacked by a group of youths—suspected thugs—who abducted him and forced him through the streets of Benin under the false pretense that he had been summoned by the palace of the Oba of Benin.
Obaseki, a cousin of former Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki, described how his abductors, some armed, dragged him, beat him severely and stripped him naked before taking him to the palace. There he was made to kneel in public, an experience he called humiliating and unlike anything he had ever felt, despite his lifelong dedication to serving his culture.
Afterward, Obaseki was released and taken to a police station, where the Commissioner of Police visited and ordered his release. During his encounter with the palace chiefs, he learned that they had not sanctioned the attack. He suggested that the assault may have stemmed from a cultural misunderstanding: a public statement he made in London wishing the Edo people longevity and prosperity was allegedly perceived as a cardinal sin in Benin, where he should have instead wished the Oba a long and prosperous life.
As a pioneer of Benin culture who has spent over 35 years promoting and elevating it, Obaseki finds the incident especially distressing. The case has raised concerns about cultural sensitivities and the potential consequences of perceived disrespect, underscoring the complexities of tradition and the importance of understanding and respecting cultural differences. The incident is currently under investigation, with further developments expected in the coming days.
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