During an interview with AIT, veteran actor and cultural figure Don Pedro Obaseki narrated how an ordinary Sunday morning unexpectedly descended into chaos and trauma.
He recalled that at about 11:30 a.m., what began as a routine football game with friends quickly transformed into a life-altering experience that left him shaken and deeply distressed.
According to Obaseki, the day started peacefully at a local primary school in Benin City, where he had joined his football mates for recreation.
Without warning, the calm atmosphere was shattered when armed men stormed the area.
He explained that the suddenness of the attack left everyone confused, with no time to understand what was happening before he was forcefully seized.
He told AIT that he was physically abducted by the assailants, some of whom were carrying guns, while others appeared to be street thugs.
Obaseki said he was dragged away in broad daylight, pulled through several streets of Benin City as stunned residents watched helplessly.
The public nature of the incident, he noted, added to the shock and humiliation he endured.
The actor further recounted that his captors claimed they were acting on orders linked to the palace, a claim he questioned at the time.
He said he repeatedly asked them to identify themselves or present any form of official authorization, but his pleas were ignored.
Instead, he was beaten, manhandled and treated with what he described as total disregard for his dignity.
Obaseki said the ordeal reached its peak when he was stripped naked and forced into a deeply degrading situation in full public view.
He described the experience as the most humiliating moment of his life, stressing that it cut deeply because of his identity, his roots and his lifelong dedication to promoting Benin culture and heritage.
He added that he was later taken to a police station, where intervention by senior police authorities eventually led to his release.
According to him, the involvement of the Commissioner of Police helped to calm the situation, and it became clear that the attack did not follow any legitimate legal process.
Nonetheless, he said the damage both physical and emotional had already been done.
“At about 11:30am on Sunday, while playing football, my life suddenly changed,” he said.
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