Veteran filmmaker Don Pedro Obaseki has narrated how he was allegedly harassed and stripped naked by a group of youths over claims that he spoke against the Oba of Benin.
Speaking in an interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT), Obaseki said the incident occurred while he was playing football with some acquaintances when he was suddenly accosted by the youths.
According to him, the assailants claimed they had been sent by the Oba’s palace to take him in for allegedly disrespecting the Benin throne.
He alleged that he was forcefully dragged through several streets, stripped naked and eventually taken to the palace, where some chiefs intervened and questioned the attackers. Obaseki said the matter was later referred to the police, and he was released after the Edo State Commissioner of Police ordered his freedom.
The filmmaker stated that the reaction of the palace chiefs suggested that the palace did not authorise the attack.
According to Obaseki, the youths accused him of making an offensive remark during a recent event in London, where he reportedly said, “May Edo people live long and prosper,” instead of the traditional expression, “May the Oba live long and prosper.”
He said the incident has left him traumatised and emotionally shaken. Videos of Obaseki recounting the incident, as well as footage from his London speech, have since surfaced online.
