Estate developer swindles 72 persons of N16m

An estate developer, Alhaji Lateef Akinjimi, is in the police custody for allegedly swindling 72 persons seeking accommodation in Lagos State.
Alhaji Akinjimi, with two of his aides, simply identified as Ife and Tokunbo, were arrested by policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.
The suspects allegedly collected N16 million as payment for a five-storey building under construction at 23, Opeloyeru Street, off Ikotun Egbe area of the state.
They however gave the property to more tenants than it could accommodate.
The police identified the victims as Blessing Alphonsus, Okolo Uju, Otung Francis, Patrick Imonitie, Chukwudi Olike, Wilson Udegbunam, Emeka Nzeako, Edwin Agu, Tunde Hassan, Sarafa Yusuf, Ikenna Nwachukwu, Mrs. Tina Akinjimi and Bose Egan.
The victims claimed they paid N1 million as two years rent for a three bedroom apartment.
Eyewitness said a fight broke out when two tenants learnt they paid for the same apartment.
The fight attracted a large crowd and the case was reported to the police.
One of the victims, Izuagba, said he paid N3 million for an apartment but later found out that he has been swindled.
He said: “The agent in question is my friend and he wanted me to pump money to develop the land but the deal didn’t work out so they brought in another developer.
“When the developer could not meet up with the financial obligations, I was called to finance the project, with a promise to give me a section as a guest house after its completion.
“I only returned from a journey and decided to go see the supposed property only to find a crowd fighting over the apartment.”