In a dramatic twist of events, those who attacked Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki in Benin, on Tuesday, begged for forgiveness from the renowned playwright.
The group, led by Osazee Adun, known as Kapuepue, younger brother to the All Progressives Congress (APC) state youth leader, Tony Adun, pleaded with Obaseki to let go of the matter.
They met Obaseki in his Benin residence, begging for forgiveness and pledging loyalty.
Adun said he was sorry for his action and vowed that never will such happen again.
He said they had come to realise that Obaseki had been promoting the cause of the Benin nation and was never an enemy of the palace.
Obaseki, in his response, said he had forgiven them.
The cousin to former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, was on December 28, 2025 dragged and assaulted at Uwa Primary School, Benin, while playing football.
He was beaten by a group of thugs led by Osaze Adun, stripped naked, and dragged to the palace of the Oba of Benin in broad daylight.
Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) had already filed a case of abduction, public dehumanisation, and fundamental human rights abuse against Adun and others.
While receiving his assaulters, Obaseki disclosed that he was highly traumatised by the incident; but having listened to appeal from various quarters, he had no choice than to let it go.
According to him, “Everybody is aware of the events of the 28th of December and it’s almost four months now. Myself and my children were very pained but there is a proverb in Benin that only the leopard’s cub can lick the leopard’s underside.
“I’m an Edo man, I’m an Obaseki and I wanted to use this as an affirmation that we are not the enemies of the Edo people.
“So that is the only validation I need. The only thing I wanted to say, which I will say maybe in a larger forum, is, I want to thank a few very close friends. I want to thank my family because we didn’t fall from the sky.
“Ironically, the young one behind me, (Kapuepue ) his mother is also from my family.
“The Obaseki clan, we have spoken to my brothers because they have been on this for a while. We realised that we need to move forward.
“I would have seen myself as the sacrificial ram, meant to put everybody together. It is to repair, not to spoil. So, I’m angry, I was very angry and bitter.
“I was traumatised, I was sick because when you are beating a 60-year-old man on the streets and making him walk almost two and a half, three kilometres, that’s after playing 90 minutes of football. It is the grace of God.
“But I’m coming from the farm now. When they called me, I said they were on their way. So, I just wanted to do that as a respect to my own father, and my uncles and my parents because to err is human, but to forgive is divine.
“I am not a polarising figure in this state. I’m the only one who can walk into an APC party and not bother, and enter any PDP party and not bother.
“Me, I’m the chieftain of the ADC, I don’t bother. I always sacrifice my party-ness for my Edo-ness. You get my point? So, Edo is paramount to me.”
He stated that he felt relieved that those who once declared him an enemy of the palace had come to plead for forgiveness and also state with their own mouths that he was not the enemy of the kingdom.
Obaseki said he had decided to let the sleeping dogs lie, asked them to put an undertaking that never again would they assault anyone in the state. He warned that should there be a repeat, he will never forgive them.
He said he was going to set up a non-governmental organisation to champion the cause against assault and intimidation against any citizens of the state.
Felix Omoh-Asun
