A Lagos home developer allegedly defrauded more than 100 potential tenants out of a sum of N51,750,000, a sum paid by victims for apartments in a building at 53 Obayan Street, Akoka, Lagos.
The developer, who was identified as Tunde Adewale (aka Alhaji Adewale) by the victims, was said to have collected the rent in various amounts from the victims assuring them that they would move into the house in December.
However, confusion arose when some of the potential tenants went to the building on December 8 and encountered other tenants cleaning the apartments and said they had paid for it.
“This caught the attention of other close people, including those who also paid for apartments in the same building,” said the PREMIUM TIMES source.
The victims, who reported the matter to the Akoka Thought Leaders (ALOT), said they paid for different apartments, including miniflats and self-contained apartments in the same building.
In a document obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, 113 victims are listed who have been defrauded by the developer. The victims paid variable sums between N200,000 and N700,000, with a cumulative total of N51,750,000.
An ALOT leader, who declined to be named for security reasons, said the developer collected rent from the victims when the home was under renovation, promising that they would move in when the renovation is complete before the renovation is complete. . year.
The source said that the Akoka group of leaders took the matter to the relevant government agencies, including the police.
One of the victims, Bayo Aina, who paid N700,000 for a miniplane in the building, said another agent introduced him to the developer.
“I paid on September 23, I went before that day and asked him if he really wanted to rent the place, he said yes. He himself called me the next day to tell me that if I’m serious, I should make the payment.
“He said he will hand over the property in December, before Christmas. I said why can’t it be November, but he said I should calm down in December, ”Aina said.
Mr. Aina said that he made a transfer to an account provided by the developer, Mr. Adewale, and his younger brother issued him a receipt.
Another victim, Kalu John, told PREMIUM TIMES that he paid N350,000 for a separate apartment, only to find out last Tuesday that multiple people paid for the same apartment.
“Some people we met there collected the keys and moved in. They count themselves as the lucky ones who are lucky enough to collect the keys, when the matter affected more than 150 people and 11 people moved in, ”he said.
PREMIUM TIMES concluded that all victims submitted receipts with the developer’s name and phone numbers.Adewal Enterprise‘.
When PREMIUM TIMES dialed the developer’s numbers, they both went out. The developer is said to be on the run after giving the keys to the property to some of the tenants.
John said the matter was reported to the Bariga Police Division and the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Adekunle Ajisebutu, the Lagos police spokesman, he said he would make findings and respond accordingly.