By SIMON  EBEGBULEM

BENIN—Deputy Chairman of Labour Party in Edo State and activist, Mr. Patrick Eholor,  who was arrested and released after 72 hours by operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over a disputed land, has described his arrest as illegal and a breach of his fundamental rights.

Eholor, who has been at the fore-front of  campaign for better representation by elected National Assembly members in Edo State, said he was still in shock over his arrest “because I was just at my private residence, when four armed men from EFCC came and said they were in possession of a petition against me over a land scam and they dragged me into a waiting vehicle and took me to Lagos.

“I was whisked to Lagos and the most shocking thing was that my rights were not read to me as same were violated.  It was alleged that some people said they bought a land from me and that I refused to give the papers of the land to them.

“There was a transaction and all the documents had been prepared by my lawyers and agent. I really don’t know where all these came from. Injustice to one is injustice to all. It is preposterous that EFCC is interested in a 100 by 100 land matter in Edo State and came to arrest me because of same. I wonder why the petitioner did not report the matter to state Police Command in Benin City but EFCC that had to take me to Lagos, where I will find it difficult to meet bail conditions.”