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Lagos developers defraud 70 house seekers, victims faint

Published

4 years ago

June 28, 2022

Two developers, Oluwasegun Adewara, and one Okeowo, have gone into hiding after allegedly defrauding no fewer than 70 prospective tenants at Lawanson, in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the prospective tenants visited the building, which was under construction, to inspect its premises and afterwards made payments to the developers.

After confirming the payments, it was learnt that the suspects issued receipts to the victims and set aside separate dates for them to take ownership of the apartments.

Things, however, took another turn when the people got to the house on 16, Zamba Street, Lawason, on the specified dates given by the developers but discovered that the number of prospective tenants outnumbered the apartments in the one-storey building.

One of the victims, Jacob Dunya, said the house had just 14 flats, adding that 120 prospective tenants paid to the developers, who disappeared after their fraudulent acts were uncovered.

The Plateau State indigene said, “I paid N600,000 for a mini-flat for a year directly to the account of the developer, Oluwasegun Olanrewaju Adewara, on April 26, 2022. When I visited the house, I noticed that the work at the site was less as it was left for them to fix only the doors and the windows.

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“So, they gave last Monday to collect keys to my apartment. But when I got there, the developer told me the place was not ready and said I should return on Monday, June 20, 2022. When I got there, I saw them fixing the keys to the doors and I was told to come back again this week Tuesday.

“I never knew that last Thursday and Friday, people had come around to fight them to access their apartments. I quickly rushed down on Friday and noticed that there were hoodlums around asking people to pay N100,000 so they could break down the padlocks used in locking some of the doors so they could have access to the apartments.

“The developers are nowhere to be found and we have yet to hear from the owners of the land and their lawyers. Over 120 people paid for the 14 flats in this building and more people are still coming. The money people paid will be about N60m because some people made advance payments for five years. They also gave us receipts. The matter was reported at the Itire Police Station.”

Another victim, Jenifer Ihemeje, while lamenting the incident, said some prospective tenants cried and fainted out of shock.

The entrepreneur said, “I paid N650,000 in April to Mr Okeowo and others, but they kept postponing till June 14, 2022, when I sent a text message to threaten them. It was another person who also paid for a flat that informed me that about 10 people paid for a single flat.

“The person said a lot of people gathered at the house on Friday over the incident. So, I rushed down there on Saturday and met people crying, shouting and some people even fainted.”

A widow, Love Chidi, said she paid N250,000 for a single room in January and left for her husband’s burial in Abia State.

“But when I returned, the developers said they had not completed work on the building. My husband died in December and we were sent out of the house we were staying because the building had cracked and was likely to collapse. So, I came here, paid the developer and left for the burial only to return to face this war. There are over 117 people stranded here,” she added.

The receipts of some of the aggrieved house seekers seen by our correspondent indicated that the developers operated with a business name, Sheedison Construction Co.

A screenshot confirming payment into Oluwasegun Adewara’s Access Bank account was also seen by our correspondent.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said the command had launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects.

“But they are not 120; they are 70 people. The developer collected money for 15 flats and absconded,” he added.

In 2021, a developer, Ahmed Ayinde, was arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defrauding no fewer than 100 prospective tenants of about N500m in the Olowo Ira area of the state.

Similarly, in 2019, over 66 prospective tenants got stranded as a landlord, Olatunji Joseph, in connivance with a developer, Aderonke Olaleye, allegedly swindled them out of over N16m paid for rents for five flats in a newly-constructed one-storey building on Abeni Close, Asa Estate, in the Gbagada area of the state.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said, “We have the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law 2022. The matter is described under that law and it is a very serious offence for anybody to collect money from people and deny them accommodation.

“But the problem is that our people don’t make enquiries; anybody who puts a board outside to say ‘To let’ or to say that he is a developer, people will just gather money and give him and the person will disappear. There are some of them who have no addresses but only telephone numbers, so this law makes it compulsory for anybody who wants to practise in that space to register as a practitioner. And once you register with the agency, should you collect money from anybody, it will be very easy to grab you.

“Now, we have a team that is going round on enforcement. Many people have faced the law for duping people of their hard-earned money and the agency has recovered money for people and resolved many disputes.”

Related Topics:defraud faint house seekers Lagos developers

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Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

Published

4 minutes ago

October 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

A former APC Women Leader in Bauchi South, Jemimah Dutse, has been found dead inside her residence in Bauchi State, with her throat allegedly slit by unidentified assailants.

Dutse was discovered in a pool of blood at her residence in Muazu New Layout, Yelwa, Bauchi, on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

The Bauchi State Police Command said the incident was reported at about 2:07pm by a 49-year-old man, following which detectives visited the residence and documented the scene.

Her body was subsequently evacuated to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, for medical examination and autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a discreet and thorough investigation.

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The police said the investigation is focused on establishing the circumstances surrounding Dutse’s death and identifying the person or persons responsible.

The motive for the killing remains unknown, and authorities have not established any link between the death and Dutse’s previous political activities.

The command has appealed for calm and expressed condolences to Dutse’s family, friends and political associates, while assuring them that efforts are underway to unravel the circumstances surrounding her death.

The incident has also generated concern among residents and groups in Bauchi, with calls for a comprehensive investigation and improved security in the area.

The Take-It-Back Movement, Bauchi chapter, condemned the killing and called on security agencies to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those responsible.

The group also urged the authorities to conduct a high-powered investigation into the incident and strengthen security measures across Bauchi metropolis and surrounding communities.

Police said further developments would be communicated as the investigation progresses.

Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

metro

Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

Published

59 minutes ago

October 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

Relatives of 20 abducted corps members have raised fresh concerns over the safety of the victims, alleging that kidnappers have subjected them to physical torture while reducing their ransom demand to N100 million.

The prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were reportedly travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, on October 1.

The abductors initially reportedly demanded N50 million from each victim, putting the total ransom at N1 billion.

However, relatives said the kidnappers have now reduced the demand to N5 million per victim, bringing the total to N100 million.

The families also alleged that the abducted corps members were being beaten in captivity, including female victims, raising fears over their physical condition as the rescue operation continues.

A relative of one of the victims, Alimot Akande, said the situation had become increasingly frightening, appealing to the authorities to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ safe release.

According to the relatives, the abductors have maintained contact with some families through the phones of the captives and have used the communication to demand ransom.

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The families had earlier appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, for intervention after the kidnappers reportedly demanded the initial N1 billion ransom.

Meanwhile, security agencies have intensified efforts to locate the kidnappers’ hideout and rescue the victims.

The Imo State Police Command said its operatives had traced the suspected kidnappers to a location in the bush. However, the operation has reportedly been complicated by intelligence that the area may have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The police said drone surveillance was used to identify the suspected location of the captives, with plans underway to deploy additional operational equipment to safely access the area.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation.

Nadada subsequently reviewed the security deployment and directed additional tactical resources towards efforts to rescue the abducted corps members.

Police authorities have assured the families that efforts are ongoing to locate the victims and bring them home safely.

There have also been varying reports over the exact number of people abducted and those already rescued. The police initially reported that some victims had been rescued after the attack, while relatives continued to maintain that 20 prospective corps members remained affected by the abduction.

The two buses involved in the incident have reportedly been recovered as security agencies continue operations around the area.

The Oyo State Government has also joined efforts to secure the release of the victims, maintaining contact with the Imo State Government and security agencies.

The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of prospective corps members travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly along major highways where kidnapping remains a persistent security challenge.

For the affected families, the immediate priority remains the safe return of their loved ones as security agencies work to overcome the reported explosives threat and reach the suspected kidnappers’ hideout.

Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

metro

Family seeks N10m to free kidnapped newlywed, other victims

Published

14 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Trends Admin

Family seeks N10m to free kidnapped newlywed, other victims

The family of a newlywed woman kidnapped in Kwara State has appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to raise ₦10 million being sought for the release of her and other victims still held by their abductors.

The victims were among six passengers reportedly abducted along the Eruku-Iyemero Road, a route linking communities in Kwara and Kogi states.

The incident involved newlyweds Funmilayo Bamidele and Rev. Abiodun David, who were travelling with other passengers when suspected kidnappers intercepted their vehicle.

Following the abduction, the victims’ vehicle was reportedly found abandoned around Ayetoro in Ekiti State, prompting security agencies and authorities from Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti to intensify efforts to locate the victims and rescue them.

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The family of Precious Alonge, one of those abducted, has now appealed for public support, saying they need to raise ₦10 million to secure the release of the captives.

The appeal comes amid growing concern over the safety of travellers using the route, which has witnessed security challenges and kidnapping incidents.

One of the six abducted passengers has reportedly been rescued, while efforts are continuing to secure the release of those still in captivity.

The families of the victims have continued to appeal for assistance as security agencies work to locate the kidnappers and secure the safe return of the remaining captives.

The incident has renewed concerns about kidnapping along inter-state roads in Nigeria, particularly routes connecting communities across Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states.

Security authorities have yet to provide a full account of the circumstances surrounding the abduction or disclose details of any arrests made in connection with the incident.

The families are urging members of the public, community leaders and other well-meaning Nigerians to support their efforts to secure the safe release of the remaining victims.