The Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Housing, has advised residents seeking to buy or rent houses to beware of fake estate agents and swindlers who market unavailable apartments to the public for outright sale or rent on social media.
Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, the state’s Commissioner for Housing, gave this advice in his reaction to a fraudulent act posted on social media advertising the recently commissioned Lagos State government-owned Egan-Igando mixed-use housing estate for sale to members of the public.
“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,” the commissioner said.
He reminded members of the public that the state government does not engage agents to sell, lease or rent houses in government-owned housing estates.
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The Estate Department in the Ministry of Housing is solely responsible for outright sale of housing units in all the state’s housing estates, while allocation for Mortgage or Rent-To-Own scheme is a responsibility of the Lagos State Mortgage Board.
Akinderu-Fatai also advised prospective home buyers and the public to conduct due diligence on any house put up for sale by anyone by contacting the estate department directly before making any decision to purchase.
“While the Ministry of Housing and the state government will not be liable for any loss incurred through patronage of fraudsters or impostors, any individual or organization caught engaging in the criminal act of deception shall be brought to book,” the commissioner cautioned.
Abdulhafis Toriola, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, has directed all allottees of Egan-Igando estate to take physical possession of their flats or risk revocation of the unoccupied flats.
This, according to him, will prevent infiltration of the estates by fake agents who give unsuspecting members of the public the impression that the flats are not allocated.
