Lagos Govt Disowns Estate Agent, Warns Swindlers On Prowl
The Lagos State Government has warned residents to beware of fake estate agents and swindlers marketing unavailable housing units, particularly on social media.
The Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, gave the warning following a recent online advertisement falsely advertising flats in the newly commissioned Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate as available for sale or rent.
“The advertised estate has been fully allocated, and its purported availability for sale or rent as stated in the online video is therefore a fraudulent act by the agent,” Akinderu-Fatai said, according to a statement issued by Ganiu Lawal, Deputy Director, Public Affairs at the state Ministry of Housing.
He clarified that the Lagos State Government does not engage private agents to sell, lease, or rent units in government-owned housing estates.
He explained that the Estate Department of the Ministry of Housing is solely responsible for outright sales, while allocations under the mortgage and rent-to-own schemes are handled exclusively by the Lagos State Mortgage Board.
Akinderu-Fatai urged members of the public to verify any claims of housing availability by contacting the Ministry of Housing directly before committing to any transaction.
He emphasised that the government will not be liable for any losses incurred by individuals who patronise impostors or fraudsters.
The Commissioner warned that any individual or organisation caught engaging in the criminal act of deception will be prosecuted.
To further secure the Egan-Igando estate from infiltration by fraudulent agents, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Abdulhafis Toriola directed allottees to take immediate possession of their units or risk having them revoked.
He noted that the directive is aimed at preventing scammers from creating the impression that the flats are still unallocated.
Lagos Govt Disowns Estate Agent, Warns Swindlers On Prowl is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
