The Lagos State Government has urged citizens and the general public who are interested in acquiring homes from it to avoid some unscrupulous persons who pose as real estate brokers.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Mr. Kamar Olowoshago, gave the warning at a media briefing in his office, Alausa Ikeja.
According to Olowoshago, “The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to unscrupulous activities of some organizations who parade themselves as agents engaged by the State Government to sell/ lease /rent housing units in Lagos State Government owned Housing Estates thereby defrauding unsuspecting individuals.
“Some of these false agents deploy fliers and social media adverts with claims of being in partnership with the State Ministry of Housing with the intentions of luring unsuspecting individuals into purchasing nonexistent properties.”
Olowoshago, therefore, appealed to the general public to be on the alert as “the state government has not appointed or empowered any individual or organization to sell, lease or rent out housing units on its behalf.”
He stressed that the agencies of government that are assigned to the housing responsibility are: for Outright Purchase of Housing Units: Estate Department of the Ministry of Housing, Lagos State located at Block 3, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja and for Allocation on Mortgage or Rent- to- Own Scheme. Lagos State Mortgage Board sited at NECA House, Plot A2 Hakeem Balogun Way, Alausa CBD, Ikeja.
Olowoshago, also stated that any individual seeking to purchase homes from existing allotees should verify or authenticate the ownership of the homes and obtain the Certify True Copy of the original letter of allocation at the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Alausa – Ikeja.
“The State Government will in no way be liable for any loss incurred through patronage of such fraudulent deal with impostors. “Any individual or organization also caught engaging in the criminal act of this deception shall be brought to book,” he warned.