Police arrest 5 real estate scammers operating on jiji.com

The gang, which consists Abolade Oladimeji, 43, Ademola Ayo, 45, Emmanuel Fabiyi, 65, Ademola Hakeem, 49, and Sunday Ayodele, 52, were arrested at the point of receiving the money for rent.

The suspects, all of whom are real estate agents, living in border towns of Lagos and Ogun states, had pretended to be an agent of the duplex. The suspects had advertised the property on jiji.com with a total lease package for a year, put at N4.5 million.

According to the leader of the gang, Hakeem, he had been using his knowledge of computer to post non-existing landed properties, apartments and buildings for sale and lease on various websites. He added that they lure unsuspecting public with attractive prices.

In his confessional statement to the police, Hakeem disclosed that in early September, he posted a vacancy of a 4-bedroom duplex in Lekki Phase 2 which attracted so many people amongst whom was a man identified as Mr Obi.

“Immediately he called me through the contact on the advertisement, I knew he was genuine. I mobilised my colleagues and allocated roles to each of them to make the deal seamless. Oladimeji conducted himself as the estate lawyer. He discussed at length with our client on the legal angle as well as visitation before payment”, he stated.

“Ayo was in charge of taking the client on house or land inspection. Fabiyi, the eldest among the team played the role of a principal-agent, and sometimes acted as site engineer while Ayodele assisted Fabiyi to make him look like a big man who is well-groomed and seasoned in the business”, he explained.

He added, saying: “After the inspection, Mr Obi requested to pay us with a cheque. Initially, we rejected as our mode of payment is through bank transfer. This is to avoid too much contact as we have dedicated account owners who connive with us, receive deposits into their accounts and collect 30% of the proceed. After much deliberation on the mode of payment, we agreed to collect the cheque.”

According to sources, Obi was trying to conclude the agreement on the lease, when along the line he suspected something fishy. “He did a little research which took him to the real landlord of the estate. Together, they played along with the fraudsters, while a police team was briefed on the development”, the source added.

The decoy team of RRS ambushed the fraudsters and arrested five of them at the various positions at the venue of cheque collection in Lekki Phase 2.

According to Fabiyi, popularly called Baba, “my age has been so instrumental in the various scams we’ve perpetrated. Unsuspecting victims get convinced that a man of my age wouldn’t be a scammer. This makes them want to do business with us and part with their hard-earned money for land purchases, rent or lease properties.”

Fabiyi disclosed that the police made them repay N3.2 million in one of their recent scams. He added that the gang had been involved in many successful property scams both in Lagos and Ogun State.

While pleading never to return to the business if allowed to go, he stated that his family had warned him not to get involved in any fraudulent deals again. He lamented being a disgrace to his wife and children as a father.

“I am a shame to my family. As an elder in the church and a grandpa,  my children warned me to desist from fraud after I was arrested last year, but I didn’t listen to them”, he stated.

He added that the N4.5 million was to be shared in the following manner; “the account owner collects 30 per cent, Hakeem, the bringer of the deal collects 30 per cent, Oladimeji 10 per cent, Ayo, 10 perfect, Fabiyi 10 per cent, and  Ayodele, 10 per cent.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu, while reacting to the incident, advised Lagosians to be more careful while dealing with estate/property agents, and always request to see the owner of the property, and also verify his/her identity,  before parting with their hard-earned money.