Oba of Benin’s aide fingered in alleged N3m land deal.

One Mr Rowland Ogbebor, a senior aid to the Oba of Benin, has been fingered in N3m land deal involving him and a Nigerian Austria base, Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict.

In a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG ZONE 5) he was alleged to have collected the sum of #3m from the petitioner with the intention of selling his parcle of land covering 100ft by 200ft to Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict.

After the payment was made on the 23rd of December, 2019 into a company’s account of Hardrow construction Nigeria limited at Sterling bank , account number 0068207275 as instructed by Mr Rowland Ogbebor. ” Specifically, mr Rowland Ogbebor instructed that the sum of #3million be paid into this account and this was effected through first Bank fund transfer on 23/12/2019. Thereafter, a Deed of transfer was drafted between Mr Rowland Ogbebor and mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict the “.Petitioner on payment, requested to see the said land since Mr Ogbebor said the land was just 400 metres from Auchi -Eyaen road but it turned out that the said land was remotely located, not has promised by Mr Rowland Ogbebor.

” Several weeks after the transaction was concluded, Mr Rowland Ogbebor who resides at Edosowan Joseph street, off Hon. Zakawanu Garuba street, Ebo quarters, Benin City and works at the Oba of Benin palace as one of the high ranking official to the Benin monarch, became evasive and was no more picking calls”.

According to the petition, the 100ft by 200ft parcel of land could not have worth #3m, therefore, the petition requested for a refund since the land was not as agreed by both parties. The petitioner said all efforts to get a refund from Mr Ogbebor was proved abortive, hence, a formal complain was made to the police.

The petitioner, who petitioned Mr Ogbebor through the chambers of Samuel Abaslim &co, said in the petition that ” our client was later to trace the residence of Mr Ogbebor which was surprise to him and he subsequently pleaded to be given time to settle the issues but all the while he was posting our client till date”.

According to the petitioner, Mr Ogbebor capitalised on the fact that Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict was in Nigeria for a brief period of time, which why he manipulated the whole scenario for him to travel back and hoping that it would be the end of the deceit to obtain the money from him.

In the petition by the counsel to the petitioner, Mr Abaslim, he said from January 2020, it became clear to his client that he had been swindled and reaped totally bare financially and emotionally.  He said several attempts have also been made by persons to get me Ogbebor to refund the money for the parcel of land but to no avail as Mr Ogbebor did not leave up to his promises to refund the money.

On invitation by the police , based on the petition written by Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict, Mr Ogbebor signed an undertaking at the office Of Assistant Inspector General of Police , Zone 5, to return the sum of #3m which he later reneged.

It would be recalled that Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict the who is based in Austria visited Benin in December 2019 and while in Benin City, he was introduced to pastor Osaretine Otasowie for prayers and this culminated in the said pastor releasing a number of prophecies on a planned attack against him by a lady.

Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict told the pastor that actually he was currently involved in a land dispute between himself and his ex-lover, that he has been asked to remove the building he erecting on the land or pay outrageous amout to his ex-lover since their loverelationship had packed up.

It was then that the pastor brought in Mr Otasowie Glory to Mr Ehiamentalor, that he has a high ranking palace official in the office of Oba of Benin who would locate a parcel of land for him to be given to his ex-lover so that the land feud can be settled.

Later, Mr Otasowie Glory introduced mr Ehiamentalor to Mr Rowland Ogbebor as high ranking palace official who is so close to the Revered Oba of Benin and will locate a 100ft by 200ft parcel of land by the main road side at Eyaen for Mr Ehiamentalor Victor Benedict Victor Benedict to purchase and transfer to his ex-lover in order for him(Ehiamentalor) to complete his building, which is equally located at Eyaen.

However, all efforts made to speak to Mr Ogbebor proved abortive, despite several visits to his house.