Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has described the abduction, public stripping and violent assault of Dr Pedro Obaseki in Benin City as terrorism, torture and an attempted murder, warning that all those involved — including anyone who authorised, enabled or failed to prevent the acts — will be held accountable under Nigerian law.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Falana said the events of 20 December 2025 represented a grave collapse of law and order and an assault on constitutionally guaranteed rights, stressing that the case would be pursued to send a clear message that impunity would no longer be tolerated.
“The events of 20th December 2025 in Benin City are clearly criminal,” Falana said.
“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 a well-armed gang. As a matter of fact, in order to disperse the crowd that gathered on the football field, these criminals shot into the air.”
Falana said the use of firearms raised further legal questions.
“So again, they were armed. We are going to find out whether they have licences to bear arms, but clearly 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.”
According to Falana, the assault violated multiple fundamental rights protected by the Constitution.
“His right to dignity was violated,” he said.
“His right to personal liberty was breached in the sense that for several hours he was captured, kidnapped, paraded and led to the palace of the Oba of Benin, who ordered that Dr Obaseki be taken to the police station.”
Falana criticised the handling of the case by the police, saying the victim was treated as a suspect while his attackers walked free.
“You would have expected that the assailants would be arrested, made to make statements to the police and confronted with the allegations of criminality they had perpetrated during the day,” he said.
“Instead, Dr Pedro Obaseki was detained at the police station in Benin City for about five hours and only allowed to go home after being forced to make a statement. In other words, he became the suspect, while the criminals who had wanted to kill him were treated as guests at the police station.”
He added: “Up till now, none of the criminal elements have been arrested and brought to book, as expected under the laws of this country.”
Falana said the case went beyond the individual victim and was intended to reaffirm the rule of law.
“It is 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, where the rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution must be respected,” he said.
“Those who subjected him to such horrendous brutalisation must face the full weight of the law. That is the only way to make it clear that this country does not encourage brigandage.”
Explaining why the incident qualifies as terrorism, Falana cited Nigeria’s anti-terrorism and anti-torture laws.
“Under the Terrorism Act 2022, whoever subjects citizens to kidnapping, abduction, brutalisation of their person, exposes them to ridicule, threatens their lives or kills them, commits terrorist acts,” he said.
“Also, under the Anti-Torture Act 2017, any person who subjects a Nigerian citizen to physical, psychological or mental torture is liable to prosecution. The penalty is 25 years’ imprisonment, with no option of fine. If the victim dies in the process, the torturer will be charged with murder.”
He added: “We are going to put these laws to the test.”
Falana also warned that anyone who sent the attackers could face civil liability.
“So whoever sent these guys will be vicariously liable in a civil court for their actions,” he said.
During the incident, the attackers allegedly claimed they were acting on the authority of the Oba of Benin, a claim that has since been categorically denied by the Benin Traditional Council. Falana said the denial left the perpetrators fully exposed.
“Our law does not allow any person to engage in criminal acts on behalf of another,” he said. “There is no vicarious liability in crimes in this country.”
“In this instance, the Oba of Benin has dissociated himself — through the Benin Traditional Council — from these terrorist acts. So these guys are now on their own, and they are going to pay dearly for their criminal acts.”
Falana said the police would also be required to account for their conduct.
“The fact that the state police command has not arrested and charged these guys under the law means somebody will have to give an explanation,” he said.
“The detention of Dr Obaseki for five hours in a police station in Benin City will have to be explained. The endorsement of the brutalisation of his person will also have to be explained by the police.”
He said criminal proceedings and disciplinary actions would be pursued.
“We are going to initiate criminal proceedings, and we will ask the authorities to invoke appropriate disciplinary measures so that police officers will not look the other way while law-abiding, unarmed citizens are subjected to brutalisation without any justification whatsoever.”
Falana added that the attackers would be required to name those behind them.
“It is their business, upon the commencement of criminal proceedings, to disclose who sent them and on whose authority they were acting. If they want to bear the penalty alone, so be it.”
He said Nigerian law was already settled on such matters.
“Our courts have decided in no fewer than ten cases that even criminal suspects cannot be paraded because they are presumed innocent until proven otherwise,” he said.
“In this case, it is worse, because nobody has alleged that Dr Pedro Obaseki committed any offence known to law.”
Falana noted that decades of judicial decisions and legislation had strengthened protections against torture and abuse.
“Our courts have condemned the brutalisation of citizens, which culminated in the enactment of the Anti-Torture Act 2017 — a domestication of the UN Anti-Torture Convention ratified by Nigeria,” he said.
“Illegal arrests, illegal detention and violations of the right to dignity have been condemned repeatedly. Colossal damages have been awarded to victims of human rights abuses, and courts have ordered Attorneys-General to prosecute criminal elements, no matter how highly placed.”
He rejected suggestions that recourse to rights bodies implied a lack of faith in Nigerian courts.
“Our courts have been up and doing in the area of human rights,” Falana said.
“Even if Dr Obaseki had not briefed our law firm, as concerned citizens and human rights defenders, we have the locus to go to court to make a point that this primitive conduct cannot be tolerated.”
He concluded by outlining the broader message of the case.
“Law-abiding, unarmed citizens cannot have their rights violated either by the state or by private individuals,” Falana said.
“Impunity must stop. Powerful individuals who believe they can send thugs to harass citizens must understand that those days are gone.”
He added: “Nigeria today has some of the best human rights legislation in the world — the Constitution, the Anti-Torture Act, the Terrorism Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice laws. Even under brutal military dictatorships, we never allowed Nigerians to be subjected to such humiliating, degrading treatment.”
Boluwatife Enome
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