Metro

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.

“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 wanna 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.

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.”

PUNCH

Metro

The Woman I Married After 8yrs As widower Fights Me With Harmful Objects, Threatens To Kill Me

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Editor

Grade A Customary Court sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has adjourned until February 2, a divorce suit brought before it by a man, Oladayo, against his wife, Leah, whom he married eight years after the death of his first wife.

Oladayo alleged that Leah did not love or care for him.

He added that she was stubborn and always loved to have her way. The plaintiff further said that the defendant was troublesome and in the habit of fighting him with harmful and dangerous objects, and added that she later took to threatening to kill him.

Oladayo explained that he came to court because he did not want the blood in his hands.

Leah was absent in court even though she was served court summonses.

Oladayo, during his testimony in court, said that he met his wife in 2017 through his church leaders.

He said: “I lost my first wife eight years before I met and got married to Leah.

“I waited that long to contract another marriage because my children from my first marriage were still in their tender ages when their mother died.

“The eldest of the three children then was just eight years old.

“I also did not want them to be emotionally and psychologically disturbed.

“I met Leah through my pastors in church.

“They introduced her to me and encouraged me to go into a relationship with her, which I did.

“Leah was well-behaved throughout the period we courted. This gave me the courage to go on with the relationship and I felt it was worth it.

“I was happy to put behind me the grief and sorrow I experienced when I lost my first wife and moved on with my life, but I never knew that the worst awaited me.

“I proposed to Leah, and she accepted to go into marriage with me.

“We held a church wedding and also carried out other relevant marital rites.

“I paid her bride price, but this was returned to me by her parents.

“Leah moved in with me, and then my life was turned upside down.

“The once gentle and easy-going lady suddenly went wild.

“She started to reveal a side of herself I had not known.

“Leah became unfriendly and hostile. She showed me no love and care. She was also in the habit of complaining and nagging. We hardly enjoyed each other’s company.

“Leah is stubborn and never took to correction because she believed she was always right.

“I lost my peace and derived no joy in our union.

“Leah always went irate any time we had a misunderstanding and would fight me with any dangerous object within her reach.

“I always left home any time she was in a rage because I did not want the blood of another person in my hands.

“I decided to return home no more after the last time we fought.

“She resorted to threatening to kill me after I left home.

“My lord, I pray this honourable court to end our marriage.

“I also request an order restricting her from threatening me and interfering with my private life.”

The court president, Mrs. S.M. Akintayo, after she had heard the plaintiff, ordered that a fresh hearing notice be issued and served on the defendant.

She then adjourned the case until February 2.
(TRIBUNE)

Metro

My Husband Lives A Wretched Life, Drinks, Gambles, Woman Tells Court

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Editor

…She’s is free to go —Husband

A woman, Rukaiat, has prayed for the dissolution of her marriage to her husband, Gafar, in a suit she filed at Grade A Customary Court, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, on the grounds of irresponsibility, gambling, drunkenness and threat to her life by the latter.

Rukaiat pleaded for the custody of their child, whom, according to her, he had constantly neglected and starved.

She prayed the court to mandate her husband to be responsible for their child’s upkeep.

The plaintiff also sought an order restraining the defendant from threatening her and from interfering with her private life.

Gafar, who was in court the first day the case was mentioned, acceded to divorce.

He also agreed that Rukaiat had custody of their child.

The defendant, however, denied the allegations of irresponsibility, gambling, and drunkenness brought against him.

He, however, failed to show up in court in the subsequent adjourned dates.

Rukaiat in her testimony told the court: “My husband is a drunk and gambler.

“I have had no rest of mind since I moved in with him after he paid my bride price.

“Our marriage is blessed with only a child who my husband found a herculean task taking care of.

“He constantly neglected me and our child and did starve us.

“My husband spent his income mainly on liquor.

“He would drink himself to stupor and stagger home, singing on top of his voice and disturbing our neighbours.

“He also gambles, which is another reason for his wretchedness.

“We fight almost every day because of his inadequacies.

“I moved out of his house after he turned me into a source of ridicule in our compound and neighbourhood.

“He took to threatening me after I left him.

“My husband went as far as hiring thugs who came to my shop to beat me up and destroy my goods.

“My lord, I pray that the court rule that we are no longer husband and wife.

“I also plead for the custody of our only child since my husband has failed in his responsibility towards her.

“I further request an order restricting my husband from threatening me and interfering with my private life.”

The court president, Mrs. S.M. Akintayo, gave her judgement on the matter, stating that the couple obviously had a valid customary marriage and that the bride price was paid.

According to her, the plaintiff had declared that she was no longer interested in their marriage, while the defendant also admitted to divorce.

Akintayo therefore ruled that the plaintiff and defendant ceased to be husband and wife.

She granted the plaintiff custody of their only child and ordered the defendant to be responsible for her upkeep, including feeding, education, and health care.

(TRIBUNE)

Metro

Our Marriage Lacks Love, Please End It, Woman Prays Court

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Editor

Area Court sitting at Centre-Igboro, Ilorin, Kwara State, has dissolved the marriage between a couple, Hajara Busari and Mumini Anafi, on the petitioner’s request, following claims of lack of care and love.

While delivering ruling on suit, the presiding judge, Mr Toyin Aluko, held that the respondent had written a letter to the court, agreeing to divorce.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the court, consequently, dissolved the marriage between the parties and ordered the woman to observe one-month Iddah (waiting period) before contracting another marriage.

Meanwhile, the court granted custody of the four-year-old child produced by their marriage to the petitioner, being still in her tender age.

The court ordered that the respondent should pay the sum of N20,000 as monthly allowance for the feeding and maintenance of their child.

He added that he should be responsible for her education and health care. Aluko also held that the father be allowed unrestricted access to the child at reasonable time and should be notified before taking any decision on his child.

The judge ordered the petitioner to get a copy of the judgment and make same available to the respondent.

Earlier, the petitioner told the court that she was no longer interested in her marriage to the respondent, following lack of love and care.