Journalist petitions police over N570,000 Lagos tenancy dispute

Renowned journalist Francis Iwuchukwu, chief correspondent for the Nigerian Tribune, has filed a petition with the Nigeria Police Force concerning a tenancy dispute involving a Lagos estate agent. The dispute centers around Iwuchukwu's payment of N570,000 to Bolaji Ojo, an estate agent operating under the name Ojo’s Properties (Land and Property Consultancy).

The journalist claims he made this payment to secure a self-contained apartment, but later discovered the funds were directed to Ojo's wife, Temitope Adebayo's account.

According to Iwuchukwu, he was led to believe the apartment's electrical wiring was incomplete, yet assured it would be fixed before April. Additionally, he was told each unit had a prepaid electricity meter, though the meter for his apartment remained uninstalled. Iwuchukwu paid a further N5,000 consultancy fee to Ojo's OPay account on April 23. The estate agent accompanied Iwuchukwu to the property on April 27, handed over the keys, and assured him a rent receipt would be issued.

However, on May 24, Iwuchukwu returned to find the gate to his apartment padlocked, forcing him to cease further work. He then demanded a refund of the N570,000, including other payments made during the tenancy. Iwuchukwu alleges the agent signed an undertaking at the Imota Police Station on June 8 to refund the disputed sum, but has yet to fulfill this promise. The journalist claims Ojo has stopped responding to police calls, and remains at large.