The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested five persons who claimed to be agents, for allegedly defrauding a couple of N900,000 under the guise of securing accommodation for them.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu confirmed their arrest on Wednesday while addressing journalists on the activities and successes of the Command in the last two weeks.
According to Muazu, the agents placed a notice of a three-bedroom apartment for rent on a wall in Ikeja, which the couple indicated interest in.
He said that when the couple called the phone number on the notice, one of the suspects who took the call claimed he had travelled out of the country and sent another phone number to the couple, which he claimed was that of his partner.
“The couple met the partner who took them to Agindigbi area of Ikeja where he showed them an empty three-bedroom flat.
“The partner informed the couple that the landlord was in church and led them to a Catholic church at Ikeja.
“On arrival, an elderly man came out from the church hall and said to the victim, ‘Are you the lucky tenant’?
“Having brainwashed the couple that he is the landlord to the house, he (husband) transferred the sum of N900, 000 to the suspects.
“The following day, when the couple went to the house, they were chased out by the rightful landlord.
“They called the phone numbers of the acclaimed house agents and that of the landlord but their numbers were switched off,” he said.
The Commissioner said that the five suspects were later arrested by the police.
He said that investigation revealed that the same gang of fraudsters, on Dec. 15, 2018, allegedly collected N3 million for a duplex at Ikeja GRA in the same manner, from a victim who is a pastor at Lekki.
Muazu added that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.
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