Dr Pedro Obaseki has filed a ₦500 million fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court following his alleged abduction, assault and public humiliation in Benin City on December 28, 2025.

In a press statement issued by Falana & Falana’s Chambers, counsel to Obaseki confirmed that “a Fundamental Rights Enforcement action has been duly filed and accepted by the Federal High Court in respect of the incident of 28 December 2025 in Benin City, Edo State.”

The legal action, filed pursuant to Sections 33, 34, 35 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, names eleven individuals alongside the State Security Service and the Attorney General of the Federation as respondents.

According to the statement, “our client alleges that he was violently abducted while engaged in a recreational activity in Benin City, physically assaulted, stripped naked, threatened with death, publicly paraded through major streets, and detained for several hours without lawful justification.”

The court filings further state that “videos of the incident were recorded and circulated on social media, thereby compounding the humiliation, psychological trauma, and continuing harm complained of by him.”

The suit is seeking declarations that the alleged acts violated his fundamental rights, alongside “an order restraining further harassment or intimidation; orders directing investigation and prosecution of those involved; a public apology to be published in two national newspapers; and the award of ₦500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general and exemplary damages.”

The development follows Obaseki’s earlier account of the incident, where he said he was seized by a group of youths, stripped to his pants and marched through the streets to the Oba’s Palace over allegations that he insulted the Oba of Benin.

He had maintained that his pursuit of justice was driven not by revenge, but by the need for accountability, deterrence and protection of human dignity.

In his words, the action is aimed at “restor[ing] his personal dignity and protect[ing] his family,” while also sending a message that no citizen should be subjected to unlawful violence or public degradation.

During the incident, his abductors reportedly claimed they were acting on instructions from the Oba of Benin or the palace. However, the Benin Traditional Council subsequently denied any involvement, a clarification Obaseki said he accepted as the official position.

Falana & Falana’s Chambers emphasised that “our client has chosen the path of law, constitutional process, and institutional accountability,” adding that the case seeks “not only personal redress, but also to affirm the principle that no citizen should be subjected to unlawful violence, public degradation, or detention without consequence under a constitutional democracy.”

The chambers also confirmed that “the relevant criminal process arising from the same events has been initiated through appropriate legal channels.”

As proceedings begin, the legal team urged restraint, stating, “we respectfully urge the public, the media, and all relevant institutions to allow the legal process to proceed without interference, intimidation, sensational distortion, or extra-judicial pressure.” (AriseNews TV)

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