News
Dr. Pedro Obaseki to Sue Over Benin Abduction and Assault
Prominent Nigerian film scholar and cultural activist Dr. Pedro Agbonifo Obaseki has announced his decision to pursue legal action following a violent public abduction, assault, stripping, and unlawful detention he suffered in Benin City on Sunday, December 28, 2025.
In a strongly worded press statement released today, Dr. Obaseki described the incident as a “brutal public abduction” in which armed individuals forcibly took him, violently assaulted him, stripped him naked, threatened his life, and paraded him through major roads in broad daylight while recording and livestreaming the ordeal to deliberately humiliate him and instil fear in the public.
He was subsequently detained for several hours despite sustaining injuries, with no formal allegation or lawful charge disclosed. Dr. Obaseki stated that the perpetrators claimed to be acting on the instructions of the Oba of Benin or the Oba’s Palace.
However, he noted that the Benin Traditional Council has categorically denied any involvement, authorisation, or prior knowledge of the acts in a widely publicised formal letter, a position he has accepted and welcomed as part of the official record.
After extensive consultations with his family, clan, senior legal advisers, and respected elders, Dr. Obaseki said he has chosen to seek justice through lawful and constitutional means—not out of malice or political motives, but to ensure accountability, deterrence, and the protection of human dignity.
He emphasised that remaining silent in the face of such grave violations would amount to complicity and expose other citizens to similar abuses.
Dr. Obaseki has engaged leading human rights lawyer Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, as lead counsel to pursue appropriate civil and criminal proceedings against the individual perpetrators and any persons found to have aided, facilitated, or enabled the offences through due process.
In light of the severity of the incident and its broader public interest implications, he has also formally notified and is engaging international human rights bodies and partners to ensure independent oversight, transparency, and monitoring of the investigative and judicial processes.
“This action is taken not only to restore the dignity of an innocent citizen and protect his family, but also to deter future occurrences and to affirm that no individual or group may abduct, brutalise, or publicly dehumanise another outside the law,” Dr. Obaseki stated.
Out of respect for ongoing investigations and judicial proceedings, he said no further factual or evidentiary commentary would be made at this time.
News
200 Kaduna varsity lecturers resign over poor condition of service
Most of the lecturers who left the institution secured appointments in newer universities within and outside Kaduna State.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concern over the departure of more than 200 lecturers of Kaduna State University, (KASU).
Chairman of ASUU-KASU, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, disclosed this at a press conference on Monday in Kaduna, lamenting that lecturers, including professors, left the institution due to poor conditions of service and non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government- ASUU Agreement.
Abdullahi said that most of the lecturers who left the institution secured appointments in newer universities within and outside Kaduna State.
Consequently, the Union has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government and university authorities to implement and domesticate the agreement.
The union warned that failure to act within the period could result in a total and indefinite strike at the university.
News
Edo House of Assembly Elect New Speaker Idiaye, Hints Why Agbebaku Resign
“Once the leadership is poor, it will drag the work of the governor backwards. So we decided to say no.”
•The new Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Mr Yekini Idiaye
The Edo House of Assembly has sworn in a newly elected Speaker , Yekini Idiaye, following the resignation of the former speaker, Blessing Agbebaku.
Speaking in an interview after his swearing-in ceremony in Benin, Idiaye pledged the full cooperation of the house to the state executive, describing Governor Monday Okpebholo as a performing leader who deserved legislative backings.
“He is doing a lot for the people of Edo, so we have to cooperate with him to move the state forward,” he added.
Fielding question on the exit of the former speaker, Idiaye cited the challenges of corruption and poor leadership.
Idiaye said: ” There’s corruption here and there. Every now and then it is adjournment — we resume tomorrow, adjournment for another 30 days, 20 days — and we were all not too happy with this leadership style.”
The new speaker pointed out that a weak legislature directly affected the executive, adding that the house had to act to protect the governor’s performance.
“Once the leadership is poor, it will drag the work of the governor backwards. So we decided to say no.”
News
Defence Headquarters say X Account Compromised
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement, describing the incident as a cybersecurity matter.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has issued a notification to the public, media representatives, and relevant stakeholders regarding the compromise of its official account on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement, describing the incident as a cybersecurity matter.
He said “appropriate technical measures had been activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access.”
Uba assured the public that efforts were ongoing to fully restore control of the account, while advising members of the public to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content posted from the account during the period.
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