A Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) student has accused Jonathan Daodu, a Lagos-based real estate agent, of scamming her out of N1.6 million during a property deal.
The student, who requested anonymity, told FIJ that she was referred to Daodu by a friend’s mother when she began house hunting. On November 25, the student contacted Daodu to inquire about a two-bedroom apartment. He introduced a property on Coker Street in Ilupeju, priced at N1.69 million.
During a visit to inspect the property, Daodu showed the student around, informing her that repairs were needed on the doors, tiles, and ceiling. The following day, the student’s mother also visited the property. On November 27, the student made a payment of N1.69 million to Daodu, who confirmed receipt and promised to provide the house receipt the next day.
However, after the payment, the student began following up with Daodu on the progress of the repairs. He assured her that work was ongoing. In December, the student planned to visit the property to inspect the repairs. Upon arrival, a man identified himself as the landlord and informed her that the apartment had been rented to a pregnant woman and her husband for N3 million annually, with a two-year payment of N6 million. The student was shocked, as Daodu had told her that the landlord was overseas and that he was managing the property.
When the student confronted Daodu with this new information, he claimed he wasn’t available but promised to attend to her once he returned. The following day, she visited Daodu’s residence, only to be told that the apartment was a service apartment and that the manager was also seeking Daodu due to an outstanding N400,000 debt.
At this point, the student requested a refund, as the landlord had already rented the property to someone else. Daodu promised to send the money by 2 pm that day, but the refund never arrived. Despite multiple attempts to reach him by phone, Daodu stopped responding to her calls.
FIJ made several attempts to contact Daodu for comment, but he did not respond to calls or text messages at press time.