Detectives attached to Ikeja Police Division have launched a manhunt for a security guard attached to Emerald Court Estate, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State. The security guard, identified simply as Abacha, allegedly swindled about 30 prospective tenants of about N5.7 million.
The suspect reportedly collected the money from the prospective tenants as rent for the estate located at Number 36, Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA, Ikeja. Trouble, however, started for the prospective tenants, when the site manager came to inspect the property. He was surprised to see a large number of tenants in the estate. The manager then reported the matter at the Ikeja Police Division.
The police later locked the entrance gate and order the tenants to vacate the estate. One of the tenants, Anthony Idoko, said if he had known this was how it was going to be, he wouldn’t have moved into the house in the first place. Idoko said he was introduced to the property by a mobile policeman.
He said: “I paid N150,000 for a room and I just spent two months in the house. If I had known this is how it is going to be, I won’t have paid the money. I don’t know where to start from now; we were asked to move out. “On August 13, the security guard brought some people who claimed they came from the Emerald building company; they promised us that we don’t have any problem living in the estate, because the company wanted people to live in the house pending when it would be sold.”
Another tenant, who identified himself as Olamide, said it was unfortunate that they fell victim to the security guard. He said: “My mother and I were introduced to Abacha. After inspecting the property, we paid him N400,000 for a twobedroom flat, after which we moved in with my siblings. “My mother and I were preparing to go out today (yesterday) when some people came and ordered everyone in the estate to come outside.
Immediately we came out, the gate was locked. To my surprise, policemen from Ikeja Division took us to their station and the divisional police officer (DPO) then asked us to leave the estate with immediate effect. But my appeal to the company is to allow us to stay back until we secure another apartment.
“To my surprise, when I told the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) we don’t have anywhere to sleep, he told us to sleep on the street, because there is nothing the police can do to assist us. My elder sister’s children are with us; we don’t know where to go.”
Olamide added that some of the tenants who had gone to work paid the security guard money ranging from N100,000, N150,000, N400,000, N750,000 to N1 million as rent, including agency fee, for a room, two, and three bedroom flats, respectively.
Another victim, Mr. Joshua Stave, said he got to know about the estate through his sister. When he needed an apartment close to where he works, he told his sister to help him look for a better accommodation within Ikeja. According to him, his sister got to know about the estate through the same mobile policeman who introduced Idoko to the house.
He said: “After I checked the estate, I paid the security guard N100,000 for a room and then moved in two days later.
The guard told me that the owner of the property wanted to demolish it, but he wanted people lacking accommodation to stay in it before it would be pulled down. I believe him and paid. “When I moved in, some people had already been living in the estate. But to my surprise, when I was preparing to go out today (yesterday), some people came to inspect the property.
After the inspection, everyone was asked to vacate the house immediately. I don’t have anywhere to go;, they should please allow us to stay back till we get another apartment. I borrowed the money I used to pay for the house rent.” One of the tenants, Mr. Staven Bahago, described it as an unfortunate experience. Bahago said he had nowhere to go with his family members. According to him, he doesn’t know where to start from.
The man said if it was only him, he could sleep anywhere, but his wife and children were his concern. He said: “The majority of the tenants never knew the security guard duped us. When the site manager came to inspect the property, he asked the guard to bring keys to some of the apartments. But the guard suddenly scaled the fence and escaped from the estate.
“The guard’s wife and two-year-old son were arrested by policemen from Ikeja Division. But we were sent out of the estate by the site manager.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the Ikeja DPO went to arrest the security guard after receiving a petition against him. He said: “Unfortunately, the suspect, who claimed to be an agent, when he saw the policemen coming, he scaled through the fence and escaped arrested. We don’t arrest in proxy. We don’t have wife and son in our custody.
“The man, who stands as guarantor for the guard, has been contacted and he has promised to provide him for further investigation.” The PPRO, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had warned prospective tenants to be wary of people they relate with to avoid being duped.
