, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion
By Our Reporter
Comrade Patrick Eholor , the founder of One Love Foundation, has cried out over an alleged plot by billionaire businessman, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion to eliminate him and his family.
While speaking with journalists, the activist alleged that Igbinedion had threatened to get rid of him and members of his family.
According to Eholor, the businessman has been using the police to harass him, his family, and workers.
Eholor lleged that the problem started when he refused to allow Igbinedion to take his vast expanse of land, which he said he purchased long ago from the Obe community in Edo State.
He accused the Esama of Benin Kingdom, of trying to forcibly take the said land from him.
“What does he want to do with lands and properties of poor people like us, if not for wickedness?” Eholor asked.
He, however, vowed to defend his property, even if it would cost him his life.
“He hates me because I am very stubborn and won’t let him take my land. He hates my guts, but I would rather live free or die,” he said.
He said, “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 the 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 (but) I didn’t develop the place because I was abroad.
“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 (commission), saying the Obe people violated him, but Obe people said they never violated him, and they also defeated 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, I’m sure. I heard he is very ill. But I sympathise 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, Department of State Services (DSS), and attempting in various ways to ‘waste’ me? He boasted several times that he was going to waste me. We were at the AIG’s (Assistant Inspector General of Police) 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 kidnapping, 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 doesn’t even have, and the AIG has said many times that they want to take policemen away 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 dirty for his in-law who is married to his daughter, Patricia Igbinedion. So the public should be aware of Esama’s intimidation. The world should let him know that the era of intimidation is over, his character and behaviour is no different from SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad).”
“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 the AIG. There was pressure, and I was surprised to read 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 a yardstick for him to intimidate and violate the rule of law? This is what I want to urge the public to ask 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.”
