… Journalist seeks Police intervention, N570,000.00 refund…

A Nigerian journalist, Mr Iwuchukwu Francis, has petitioned the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) over an alleged dispute concerning a rented apartment in the Adamo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Iwuchukwu Francis, in a statement made before the Nigeria Police Force at Imota and Araro respectively, on June 8, 2026, said he was seeking police intervention after paying a total of N570,000 in rent through an estate agent, Bolaji Ojo, who operates under the name Ojo’s Properties (Land and Property Consultancy).

According to the journalist, his initial discussion about renting a room-and-parlour self-contained apartment took place by telephone on April 1, 2026, after which he met Bolaji Ojo in person on April 3, 2026.

Iwuchukwu Francis maintained that he subsequently paid N570,000 into an Access Bank account provided by Bolaji Ojo, who claimed to be a member of the Estate, Rent and Commission Agents Association of Nigeria (ERCAAN).

The payment, according to the journalist, was made from his First Bank account at about 1:01 p.m. on April 3, 2026, into an Access Bank Plc account No: 1690939511 with the account name Temitope Adebayo, as provided by the estate agent, Bolaji Ojo.

The said Access Bank account, it was later gathered, belonged to his wife.

Iwuchukwu Francis explained that the payment covered N400,000 for house rent, N50,000 agreement fee, N50,000 commission, N50,000 damages deposit, N15,000 security/CDA fee and N5,000 cleaner’s fee.

According to the journalist, Ojo had informed him before payment that electrical wiring in the apartment was yet to be completed but assured him that the work would be concluded before the end of April 2026.

He also allegedly informed him (Iwuchukwu Francis) that each apartment in the building had been allocated a prepaid electricity meter, although the meter meant for his apartment had not yet arrived.

Iwuchukwu Francis said that, following the initial payment, he reached an oral agreement with Bolaji Ojo to take possession of the apartment and begin installing fixtures in preparation for his relocation.

The journalist revealed that he further paid an additional N5,000 consultancy fee into Ojo’s Opay account number 7080097012 on April 23, 2026.

According to him, Bolaji Ojo thereafter gave him a tenancy agreement form, which he completed, signed and returned.

Iwuchukwu Francis said the estate agent later accompanied him to the property on April 27, 2026, and handed over the keys to both the apartment and the main gate, thereby giving him access to the premises.

The journalist alleged that Bolaji Ojo assured him that the tenancy agreement would be forwarded to the owner of the property for approval and that a house-rent receipt would subsequently be issued.

Iwuchukwu Francis made public that he moved his belongings into the apartment on May 6, 2026, after informing the estate agent, (Bolaji Ojo) of the development.

He posited that he subsequently began making improvements to the apartment, including purchasing and installing a solar power system on May 7, 2026.

According to the journalist, the solar installation was intended to provide electricity pending the installation of the prepaid meter.

Iwuchukwu Francis further insisted that he spent N150,000 on painting the apartment, while additional sums were paid to a carpenter for various works, including the construction and installation of a wall hanger, a net door, repairs to the kitchen cabinet and the construction of a DSTV/GOTV/STRONG cabinet.

The journalist said the dispute escalated on May 24, 2026, when he returned to the property and allegedly discovered that the gate leading to his apartment had been secured with a large padlock.

He said the development forced him to instruct the carpenter to suspend scheduled work and refrain from bringing already-paid-for items to the apartment.

Iwuchukwu Francis explained that he immediately contacted the estate agent (Bolaji Ojo), who initially claimed ignorance of the development but later allegedly explained that the matter was connected to a disagreement over electricity supply.

The journalist is demanding a refund of all monies paid in connection with securing the apartment from the estate agent, Bolaji Ojo.

Meanwhile, in an undertaking signed by the estate agent, Bolaji Ojo, on June 8, 2026 at the Nigeria Police Force, Imota, he had made a promise to effect the return of the fund in dispute to the journalist, a promise he had yet to fulfil as of the time of filing this report.

Even Bolaji Ojo’s earlier promise at the Police Station in Araro, to initiate the refund of the said sum on June 8, 2026, had equally hit the brick wall.

As of the moment, the estate agent’s whereabouts are unknown even as he had refused to respond to the calls put across to him by the police.

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