The Lagos State Government has issued a stern warning to residents to steer clear of fraudulent estate agents promoting non-existent housing units on social media platforms. This follows a viral online advertisement falsely claiming that flats at the newly commissioned Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate are available for sale or rent.
Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, clarified that the housing estate in question has already been fully allocated, describing the online promotion as deceptive. “The advertised estate has been fully allocated, and its purported availability for sale or rent as stated in the online video is therefore a fraudulent act by the agent,” he said.
He stressed that the state government does not authorize or use agents for the sale, lease, or rental of flats within its estates. “Lagos State Government does not engage agents to sell, lease or rent housing units in government-owned housing estates,” he said.
According to Akinderu-Fatai, the Estate Department under the Lagos State Ministry of Housing is the only authorized body to manage outright sales, while allocation under the Mortgage or Rent-To-Own schemes is handled exclusively by the Lagos State Mortgage Board.
He urged members of the public to verify any housing-related offers by contacting the Estate Department directly. “Prospective buyers must conduct proper due diligence before making any payments. Any individual or organisation caught engaging in the criminal act of deception shall be brought to book,” he warned.
Reinforcing the government’s position, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abdulhafis Toriola, urged all allottees of the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate to take physical possession of their flats without delay. He noted that failure to occupy the units could lead to revocation, as unoccupied flats make the estate vulnerable to encroachment by impostors and fraudsters posing as legitimate agents.
