According to Falana, the incident amounted to a clear criminal attack that threatened the victim’s life and dignity.
Fiery human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has condemned the continued failure of Nigerian security agencies to arrest those responsible for the abduction, public humiliation and brutalisation of Nigerian actor, Don Pedro, also known as Dr. Pedro Obaseki, in Benin City, Edo State.
Falana made the remarks while appearing on Arise News TV, where he detailed what he described as a series of grave constitutional violations committed against the actor on December 28, 2025.
According to Falana, the incident amounted to a clear criminal attack that threatened the victim’s life and dignity.
“The events of 28th of December 2025 in Benin City are clearly criminal. His right to life was threatened by the criminal gang that descended on him while he was playing football. In the heart of Benin City, he was abducted, stripped naked and beaten to a pulp by the well-armed gang,” Falana said.
He further disclosed that the attackers were armed and deliberately intimidated members of the public who attempted to intervene.
“As a matter of fact, in order to despise the crowd that gathered on the football field, these criminals shot into the air. So again, they were armed. We’re going to find out whether they have licenses to bear arms,” he added.
Falana stressed that the assault went beyond mob violence, describing it as a direct attempt on the actor’s life.
“But clearly, the attempted, it was an attempt on the life of Dr. Pedro Obaseki. As if those terrorist acts were not enough, he was stripped naked and paraded. Again, his right to dignity was violated,” he said.
The senior advocate also faulted the subsequent actions of authorities, stating that Obaseki’s right to personal liberty was further violated after the assault.
“His right to personal liberty was breached in the sense that for several hours, he was captured, paraded and led to the Palace of the Oba of Benin who ordered that Dr. Obaseki be taken to the police station. You will have expected that the assailants would be arrested and made to make a statement by the police,” Falana noted.
Instead, Falana said the victim was treated as a suspect, while those who attacked him were left untouched.
“And confronted with the allegations of criminality they had perpetrated during the day. To Dr. Obaseki’s utter chagrin, he was detained in the police station for about five hours and only allowed to go home after making a statement, after being forced to make a statement. In other words, he became the suspect while the criminals who had wanted to kill him were making guests of him in the police station,” he said.
Falana expressed concern that, months after the incident, none of the perpetrators has been held accountable.
“Up to now, none of the criminal elements have been arrested and brought to book as expected under the laws of this country. So, it’s not just about Dr. Obaseki. The whole idea is to use this particular case to make a point that we operate in a civilised society whereby the rights of citizens guaranteed by the constitution will have to be respected,” he stated.
He warned that failure to prosecute those responsible would further entrench lawlessness and mob justice.
“The guys who are subjected to such horrendous brutalisation will have to face the full weight of the law. We’ll have to descend on them. And that is the only way to make a point that this country does not encourage brigandage,” Falana said.
The incident has continued to spark outrage, with rights advocates calling for an independent investigation into both the attack and the conduct of the police involved.