BY EVELYN USMAN

 LAGOS—NO fewer than 30 prospective tenants, who were defrauded to the tune of N34 million, among them a widow, a serving naval personnel and  a pregnant woman, yesterday, besieged the office of Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, demanding the refund of their money from the fraudsters, who are  in police custody.

The suspects reportedly collected money from the desperate accommodation seekers as rent for a building under construction at Adeniyi Street, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, and never gave the accommodation nor refunded their money.

The one-storey building comprising two self- contained,  six room and parlour self-contained and two two-bedroom flats, going  for N100,000, N150,000 and N200,000 respectively, per annum, while the prospective tenants were made to pay for two-years.

But the bubble burst after some of them visited the building to ascertain the level of construction only to discover that they were occupied by other persons.

The case, it was gathered, was reported to the  Trinity Police Division, from where the suspects, who were discovered during investigation, to have leased the land from an old man, were arrested.
At the State Criminal Investigative Department, SCID, Yaba, where the case was transferred to, it was discovered that the suspects collected money from 75 persons.

Parading the suspects before newsmen, the command spokesperson,  Mr. Samuel Jinadu, advised members of the public to be wary of such developers, stressing that no one should pay for  an apartment  under construction. 

A mild drama played out as one of the victims, a widow, held the suspects amidst tears, demanding that her N400,000 be given back to her.

Among those affected were a retired Captain of the Nigerian Army, bankers, lawyers and petty traders, who said they borrowed the money to pay.