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Policemen attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Department Alagbon Lagos have arrested a property developer for allegedly duping over 200 house seekers. The suspect according to the victims, allegedly used various names and conniving with over 20 house agents, duped them of over N20million.

According to his victims, the property developer simply identified as Mr. Tunde and his wife one Mrs Fumilayo renovated three houses in the Iponri, Aguda and Coker areas of Lagos State which he and his wife allegedly used in defrauding them.

Barr. Ene Sarah Unobe, Chief Executive Officer of the International Centre for Human Rights Non Violence and Safety (ICHR) in a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police on behalf of the victims urged the police to thoroughly investigate the matter, adding that the scam involved a syndicate which specialised in defrauding house seekers in the state. She said:
“I was in my office when over 100 people stormed my office that they have been duped by a property developer and his wife. I was shocked at their number. Some of them were weeping, saying that they have become homeless and stranded.

The victims range from young people to the elderly and from what Saturday Telegraph gathered from them, they had already paid for apartments but on getting to the house, they found other people occupying the apartments they had paid for.

”The developer in connivance with his wife and other agents, collected money from more than the number of tenants the apartments were meant for. In some cases, eleven people claimed they were given the keys to one apartment. We took up their complaints and petitioned the DIG Intelligence and Investigation Force Headquarters, Abuja and he directed the DCP Adminstration to investigate the case.

The police have arrested the developer who we discovered used various names. He is known as Tunde, Adeyemi, Kabiru for the scam but his wife, one Mrs Fumilayo and others he used are still at large and they should be arrested.

From our estimation, the victims parted with millions of naira for a decent accommodation but they have been rendered homeless. We have over 100 of them in our office complaining about this syndicate” Saturday Telegraph met the victims at the International Centre for Human Rights, Non Violence and Safety office on Friday filling complaint forms.

One of the victims who identified herself simply as Mrs Johnson said: “I fled from my house in Ikorodu following incessant attacks from a notorious cult group called Badoo. I was stranded and a house agent whom I contacted to help me get a place took me to a house undergoing renovation at Mashalasi Street, Iponri.

I saw a woman called Mrs Fumilayo and one other guy called JJ. Mrs. Fumilayo told me that she and her husband were the developers, renovating the house. My agent and I inquired about a mini flat and she said N250, 000 per annum. She told me to make one year payment into her First Bank account and I did.

I brought the teller to her and she gave me a receipt. She told me to come back in June with the balance of N100, 000 for agency and agreement fees but when I got to the house, I found out that the room she showed me had been taken over by another family. I called her mobile line but it was switched off.

I also called her husband but police picked his call and said he had been arrested for defrauding people. The police told me to come to write my statement at Alagbon and when I got to the station, I saw over 100 people crying that they had fallen victim of a house scam.” Another victim, who identified himself simply as Mr. Goodluck said:
“I paid N260, 000 for a room apartment. I got a quit notice from my landlord that he is demolishing his house and we should all leave. I paid cash to one Mrs. Fumilayo and she gave me a receipt and told me to come back for my key.

I called her line and she did not pick her calls. I decided to go to the house but to my shock, I met a lot of people fighting over the rooms. Some of the people they duped include soldiers and naval personnel.

The thugs in the area took advantage of the situation and barricaded the house and started collecting N50, 000 from the tenants before they could allow them in.

Over 100 of us are involved. I joined others to report at the Human Rights office at the International Centre for Human R i g h t s Non Violence and Safety. We also protested to the Lagos state government office at Alausa Ikeja and the government directed us to the Ministry of Housing.

They gave us a form and told us to pay N3 000. We got angry and left.” Another victim said: “My agent brought me to the house at Aguda. The apartment was under renovation. This was on December 19, 2016.

I met the property developer who introduced himself as Mr. Korede. I later found out that is name is Kabiru and Adeyemi. He said he was the one in charge of the apartments at Iponri and Aguda. The houses were under renovation.
He told me that what was left was plastering and he urged me to pay.

I paid N630, 000 into his First Bank account. He gave me a key that the house would be ready in two weeks’ time. He told me that I would do Christmas in the house. “I went back there with the hope of taking possession but saw that the house was still under renovation. He told me to be patient. I ended up waiting for six months but when I got there last week, my apartment had been occupied.”

I called him but his number was switched off. The sad part is that I introduced my colleagues to them and some of them paid N440, 000, others paid N500, 000 to him and his wife.

When we got to the house, we saw more than 10 people fighting over a room. It was then it became clear that we had been duped. We want government to seal off the houses and get this man and his wife including their cohorts arrested because we heard that they are serial fraudsters, duping innocent house seekers.”

When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Administration at the FCID Alagbon, DCP Ozioko, confirmed the arrest. He said that a thorough investigation is being conducted into the matter.

He said: “A lot of people are coming that they have been duped. A lot more are still coming. We are conducting a thorough investigation and the suspect is in our custody.”

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