The Lagos State Government has cautioned residents, particularly prospective home buyers, to be vigilant and avoid falling victim to fraudulent estate agents marketing non-existent housing units on social media platforms.
The warning was issued by the Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, in response to a recent video circulating online, falsely advertising flats at the newly commissioned Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate as available for sale or rent.
He clarified that the estate has already been fully allocated, and any claims to the contrary are deceptive.“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. He stressed that Lagos State Government does not engage third-party agents to lease, rent, or sell units in any of its housing schemes.
According to the Commissioner, all legitimate transactions related to outright housing sales must go through the Estate Department of the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, while allocations under the Mortgage and Rent-to-Own schemes are managed exclusively by the Lagos State Mortgage Board.
He urged members of the public to conduct proper verification and reach out directly to the Ministry before committing to any property purchase, warning that the government will not be responsible for losses arising from fraudulent dealings.
“Anyone caught perpetrating such fraudulent activity will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” he added.In a related development, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Abdulhafis Toriola, has directed allottees of the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate to take immediate physical possession of their flats or risk revocation.
This directive is intended to prevent unauthorized access and the manipulation of unoccupied units by impostors posing as estate agents.
