Estate agent who cornered N25 million from 125 potential tenants remanded

EBUTE META, Nigeria – A Lagos State Magistrate Court Sitting in Ebute-Meta, has remanded 39- year old  estate agent, Ibrahim Hamidi Ayinde in prison custody for allegedly defrauding  125 persons under the pretense of providing them with accomodation.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs  O.A Olagbende ordered his remand for a week for failing to evict tenants in the apartment as ordered by the court. Ayinde is standing trial on 125 count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing. He however denied the charge preferred against him by the Lagos State Government. According to the Police prosecutor, Mrs Clara Olagbayi, the defendant committed the offence at Agege, a suburb area in Lagos between May and July , 2017. 

The prosecutor further informed the court that  Ayinde collected the sum of N25million from 125 people for a fourteen flat apartment in Agege. Trouble started when the unsuspecting victims started bringing in their belongings after paying fully for the apartment and they met other persons  there despite the fact that they were given a complete set of key to the house.

At the resume of the proceedings, the defendant whose lawyer was absent in court informed the Magistrate that he has not carried out the court’s order because he got it late. Earlier, Magistrate Olagbende had ordered that the defendant should evict the tenants in the house pending the conclusion of the matter in court, an order he had failed to obey.

Magistrate Olagbende who was not pleased with the defendant excuses, ordered his remand in prison custody for a week, While pleading for mercy, Ayinde said he has  started paying some of the complaints and he will finish paying them by May, 2019.

The Magistrate however disagree with him, insisting that he spend a week in Ikoyi prison. ” When you return, you will go and evict the tenants presently living in the house as ordered by the court, Olagbende said. She thereafter adjourned the matter till Thursday, April 11 for mention.