Trojan.com.ng can authoritatively confirmed that Patrick Eholor alias Ultimate
Equals has deliberately blackmailed Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama
of Benin Kingdom over a piece of land purchased by Mr. Osa Osunde, a son in-law
to Chief Igbinedion from Ugbor community in Oredo Local Government.
The deed of Assignment on the land between Mr. Osa Osunde, the assignor and Crown Estate Limited, the assignee obtained by Trojan.com.ng at the Edo State Ministry of Lands and Survey indicated that Chief Igbinedion had nothing to do with the said land in his personal capacity.
An official in the Edo State Ministry of Lands and Survey who didn’t want his name in print told our correspondent that Patrick Eholor is a mischievous fellow and a notorious land grabber the government of the state should put into check for his ignoble role in land crisis in the state. It is becoming one too many.
He said Chief Eholor has been in the press in recent times blackmailing the highly
respected Esama of Benin Kingdom over the same piece of land in order to attract sympathy from the unsuspecting public.
Also, a former Community Youth Chairman of Ugbor Community confided in Trojan.com.ng that at no time did the community sell the piece of land to Chief Patrick Eholor.
“Chief Eholor is known for tricking and invading people’s lands in and out of Benin City and appropriating same”, the former Community Chairman said.
The former Community Chairman said Chief Patrick Eholor has variously and wrongfully accused the Esama of Benin Kingdom of forcefully taking over his land when the land in question belongs to Mr. Osa Osunde as the deed of assignment shows. There is a Certificate of Occupancy issued about 20 (twenty) years ago in the name of Mr. Osa Osunde in the Ministry of Lands and Survey’s records.
According to Mr. Patrick Eholor, “You are aware that we tried to work there the last time, and he went to bring police officers from the Area Command to intimidate us, so I want to give you background history of the property. I bought this property over two decades ago, going to three decades. Apparently, I was the first to buy land there from Obe community. I didn’t develop the place because I was abroad. Kindly note that Obe community is in Ikpoba Okha Local Government of Edo State.
“Esama’s in law, who defrauded a bank, he was a bank head and defrauded the bank in the tunes of billions, and he was being tried by the EFCC. Because he had a lot of problem with them, they were after his assets, so some of his assets, he handed over to Chief Igbinedion.
”He claims he bought it from Ugbor which was
true, but when they went to the palace, the Oba Erediauwa decided that the boundary between Obe and Ugbor were shifted and Ugbor people were wrong.
“Therefore they violated the land boundary, and the whole land was ceded to Obe people. They went to court, and Obe people won Osa Osunde in court. He went to human rights, saying Obe people violated his rights, Obe people said they never did, and they also won him.
“Osa Osunde has never confronted me one day, I took a step further to protect my property from Osa Osunde, because he was selling it illegally to Esama, and also tried to sell to other people. The court said he should not go into the property.
”He has not been able to answer any police or court because of his ill health, am sure, I heard he is very ill. But I sympathize with him and pray for his good health.
“But the question to ask Esama is, why is he violating every law? Why is he going
against the decision of Erediauwa, when he knows that our palace is supreme, and
the judgment from the palace is supreme?
”Why is Esama intimidating me with police, DSS, and attempting to in various ways to ‘waste’ me? He boasted several times that he was going to waste me. We were at AIG office and he didn’t come, the AIG said this is strictly a civil matter.
But Esama has continued to harass me and my family in various ways..
“We were working a few days ago and he went to Area Command to try to use the police to intimidate us again, he came with about 38 policemen
“There are no policemen in our streets, there is kidnaping, there is insecurity, and yet the police still allow Esama to use them which is very unfortunate. He has battalions of police, which the Ugbor Divisional Police office don’t even have, and the AIG has said many times that they want to take police from VIPs, so Esama is one of the problems we have been having in this country, but like I already told him, I would rather live free or die.
”I must let justice take its course. If Esama has any issue, he should go to court, but should stop threatening my life and stop harassing me, and stop destroying my businesses.
I have no personal business with Esama, I never bought land from him, he never bought land from me, he never bought from Obe, nor Ugbor. He is only fighting a dirty fight for his inlaw who is married to his daughter Patricia Igbinedion.
So the public should be aware of Esama intimidation. The world should let him know that the era of intimidation is over, his character and behavior is no different from SARS.
“He also tried to use one of my lawyers to do a disclaimer to a petition before the AIG. There was an error in one petition, originating from Barrister Austin Akahome, but unfortunately, a different lawyer’s name was mentioned, who is also my lawyer. But he wasn’t part of this petition to AIG. There was pressure, and I was surprised reading a news report where he said he never issued a petition against Igbinedion and all that. These are various ways of intimidation but I was able to handle it very maturely.
“The Esama knows I am not the type he can intimidate, and I will not fall into his intimidation. He was claiming that he was in South Africa, and never came to answer the AIG. My question is that, is Esama above the law? If the son was a former governor, is that’s yardstick for him to intimidate and violate the rule of law? This is what I want to ask the public to as Esama. Empires rise and fall, what Esama is doing now, I am sorry it might be very unfortunate.
“If he wants to go dirty, I will be forced to go dirty with him. I have always wanted to be magnanimous with him, if he goes low, I go high, but enough is enough, and a word is enough for the wise”, Eholor stated.
Former Ugbor Community Chairman earlier quoted told our correspondent that ”the issue of Patrick Eholor’s decision to live or die is within his purview.
”I’m not even certain whether Edo State has a battalion of Police talk-less one man having a battalion.
”The question to ask here is whether Mr. Patrick Eholor is depending on a meeting at the Palace or he also has a Certificate of Occupancy? Where is his title? Let him exhibit it.
”Where are these court decisions Patrick Eholor keeps talking about? Was he a party to any?
”Is the Palace meeting supreme to the court decisions or state government issued Certificate of Occupancy?
”Another round of questions to ask Patrick Eholor is where are the decisions of human rights? Is it a court?
”What is the government’s position on the status of Obe and Ugbor, the former chairman quipped?
Attempt to reach the Esama of Benin Kingdom and Mr. Osa Osunde for their comments at the time of filling this report proved abortive.