The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Ewuare II, has distanced himself from the youths who attacked and publicly humiliated a former Managing Director of Daar Communications, Dr. Pedro Obaseki, declaring that the incident was never authorised by the palace.
Dr. Obaseki, a cousin of former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, was reportedly attacked on Sunday by suspected thugs at Uwa Primary School, where he had gone to play football. He was beaten, stripped naked and forced to walk through parts of Benin City after being accused of being an “Oghionba” (enemy of the Oba).
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Mr. Frank Irabor, the revered monarch condemned the incident and cautioned against the spread of unverified information on social media.
“The Benin Traditional Council uses this medium to inform the general public that the unfortunate incident in which Pedro Obaseki was manhandled was not authorised by the Oba of Benin,” the statement said. “It cannot be authorised because it is not in the character of our revered monarch to do so. The Oba of Benin is a peace-loving father to all.”
The Oba further warned youths against taking the law into their own hands under any guise, stressing that acts of jungle justice are unacceptable regardless of the level of provocation.
The statement urged individuals to always respect the rule of law and allow appropriate security agencies to handle disputes and allegations, noting that unlawful actions only undermine peace and order in society.
