Securing accommodation in Lagos is usually fraught with a lot of obstacles. No fewer than 70 intending tenants have just been taken on a jolly ride by a callous estate agent. How did he do it?

Tension has heightened on Bashiru Street, in Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State as no fewer than 70 house seekers are at logger heads over the occupation of the same apartments which they had already paid for.

The aspiring tenants are battling on two fronts: while they are struggling among themselves to take possession of available apartments that they could find themselves in, they are also facing threats in the hands of suspected hoodlums, who apparently had been hired to chase them away from the building.

The commotion on No. 10, Bashiru Street house is reported to have been orchestrated by the caretaker of the building, who had allegedly fleeced would-be tenants of amount running into millions of naira.

The caretaker, identified simply as Lekan, had allegedly duped house seekers the said amount and promised all of them apartments not more than six blocks of flats and a couple of self contained apartments. Lekan, who displayed bill board announcing vacancy into the apartment in front of his shop and on leaflets distributed around major streets and bus stops in Agege and Ojodu area of the metropolis, had been approached by a couple of dozen house seekers for that purpose.

It is reported that once a house seeker approached him in respect if the building, Lekan would tell him or her that the building was nearing completion and that the owners needed some money to carry out the final phase.

Thus, since September 2012, a lot of house seekers had been paying various sums of money into Lekan’s accounts. The amount reportedly paid into his account by each of the tenants-to-be ranges between N180, 000 – N350, 000. Once the payments are made, Lekan would issue a receipt to the payee. It is also reported that some of the house seekers were approached by the caretaker’s agents ostensibly working for Lekan.

It is claimed that the receipts issued in respect of the house either by Lekan himself or agents bore Lekan’s stamps, handwritings and company name.

The bubble bust when all of them around to take possession of the apartments they had paid for since the deadline given by the caretaker had already lapsed.

From the beginning of last week of the month, truckloads of the aspiring started arriving at the compound. But to their chagrin, none of them was allowed access into the compound. Suspected hoodlums had already taken possession of the building.

The hoodlums were reportedly enveloped in thick waft of marijuana smoke, and they were also reportedly wielding weapons. The hoodlums’ claim was that they were not given any orders to allow any of the tenants to move into the building.

All attempts to get Lekan and discuss the issue with him proved unfruitful as he no longer go to his office. The matter was later reported at Alausa, the Lagos State seat of government, as suggested by one of the victims and Lekan was picked up and remanded in police custody at Alagbon, in Ikoyi, on Lagos Island.

Speaking to Saturday Mirror on telephone, one of the victims of Lekan’s antics, who identified himself as Mr. Ejere, claimed that the caretaker promised him that he would move into a three-bedroom apartment by the end of February.

However, he continued, when he went there to assess how far work had gone, he was shocked to learn that a lot other would-be tenants had been turned back from entering the compound. His words:“I only hear that some caretaker dupe people, but I have never witnessed it in my life.

But it is happening to me right now. We all paid money to move into the house but were shocked to hear that the man collected money from a host of other people. Most, if not all of us that paid either to him, or through his agents, cannot have enter into the compound.” Ejere continued: “When I visited the place to see how the truck bringing in my stuffs would move, I was shocked to see about 10 able-bodied men smoking Indian hemp stationed in and outside the compound. They were also brandishing dangerous weapons.

They have been preventing any of us who had paid for the place to even enter there. Another set of victim of the caretaker’s fraud are Mr. and Mrs. Olasumbo, who claimed to have paid N280, 000 to him but could not move into the apartment they paid for.

According to the Olasumbos: “We were supposed to move into the house last week, but to our surprise, the thugs stationed at the gate would not allow us entry. It is also surprising because even when we went there and saw this crisis, some interested people were still being brought to come and inspect the house.”

Lekan, the caretaker, could not be reached since he is already cooling his heels at Alagbon, but a young woman at his shop told reporters that many people had been coming there threatening fire and brimstone.

According to the woman identified as Bimpe, “I do not know where Oga (boss) went to but I noticed that a lot of people have been coming here to make noise. But I cannot answer them since I do not know what transpired between them and Oga,” A police source at Alagbon confirmed the detention of Lekan.

The source also claimed that some of the victims of the fraud had been thronging the police command, adding that investigations were still ongoing.

sapphiren: HI Niyion,

I am one of the people Lekan defrauded. i have been looking for someone to give me an update until i saw your post. I assumed Cupcup is following up closely on this and i was expecting an update from him since his last post March 09 2013.

Cupcup says EFCC is aware. My question is ''is he sure of this?'' if not i think we should follow up with EFCC of this.

Secondly, i understand the real owner of the property is willing to refund the victims? where are we on this now? i really do wish Cupcup can respond to my questions and then we can put heads together and know where to face. its really hard to let go because i know how hard it was for me to part with N280,000 just for a room self contain because i needed shelter. N180,000 of that money i gave Lekan was on loan. I paid for the accommodation since july 2012 and has been floating since then.I have lost most of my properties since then and more are wasting as the days go by.

Niyion since you are one of the leaders of the group what of Lawyer Ubanni? What is his story?

niyion: We have wrtten to Governor of Lagos State and he directed us to Lagos State Real esate only for those people to tell us to start paying N3000 each they later brought it down to N2500. When I told my people they were not happy with that. Pls Nigerians let's be our brothers keeper if you know any means help can come to us please don't esistate to do pls come to our aid. Our hope was †ђξ government but unfortunately they disappointed us by asking us to pay N2500 each. Which way Nigeria. Niyion@yahoo.co.uk ipls