Amnesty International Condemns Nigerian Police Over Failure to Arrest Attackers of Filmmaker Pedro Obaseki in Benin City

Amnesty International has strongly condemned the Nigerian Police for failing to arrest the assailants who abducted and publicly humiliated Nigerian filmmaker Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki in Benin City, Edo State. The human rights organization described the incident as “barbaric and unlawful,” emphasizing that it violated basic principles of due process and human dignity.

Obaseki, a cousin of former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, was seized by a group of men allegedly acting on behalf of the Benin Traditional Council. He was dragged to the Oba of Benin’s palace, stripped publicly, and forced to kneel and walk on his knees. The attackers did not present identification or legal authority for their actions.

Amnesty International called on law enforcement to investigate the incident, bring the perpetrators to justice, and urged the Oba’s palace to dissociate itself from the unlawful acts. The organization highlighted that such repression undermines civic freedoms and human rights in Edo State.

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"Igbo Traditional Religion is Superior to Christianity" — Filmmaker Tobe Osigwe.

Nigerian filmmaker and practitioner of Igbo traditional spirituality, Tobe Osigwe, has claimed that Odinala the indigenous Igbo religion is superior to Christianity and other organised faiths.

Speaking during an interview on 90MinutesAfrica with Rudolf Okonkwo, the Theatre Arts graduate described Christianity as “a secondary school,” while comparing Odinala to “a university.”

Osigwe, who is also a practising dibia, argued that any Igbo person who seeks deeper spiritual knowledge after practising Christianity would eventually find themselves in traditional religion.

“Anyone who has gone through Christianity and still wants to advance spiritually will discover that the next step is traditional religion. Igbo traditional religion is higher than Christianity and other organised faiths,” he asserted.

He added that many Igbo people remain in Christianity out of fear.
“They are afraid of hellfire. But some of us know that hell doesn’t exist, it’s a myth created to sustain Christianity and keep people from questioning it,” he said.

While urging the Igbo to reconnect with Odinala, Osigwe stressed that such a return must not ignore the importance of education. According to him, meaningful technological progress can only follow when education and tradition go hand in hand.

“The ways of our ancestors are about ethics and values, but science is another matter entirely. Tradition cannot replace science,” he said. “Igbo elites should pursue education that drives technological growth, and then integrate the moral systems of Odinala. The Chinese learned technology from the West but kept their own values. I don’t want to go back to an analogue lifestyle, but to use our traditional ethics to protect and guide modern society.”