Funmi Adebiyi (not real name), a Lagos-based business analyst, has detailed how PWAN Homes, a Nigerian real estate firm, sold her a waterlogged property and refused to refund her money after eight years.
Speaking with FIJ, Adebiyi said that she bought the land situated in Ibeju-Lekki in October 2016 for N2.7 million through one of the firm’s agents, Bukola Famoroti.
She said that at the time she bought the parcel of land, the real estate company told her that she was investing in dry land that was ready to be built and developed.
“In 2016, I bought a plot of land from PWAN Homes through one of their agents called Bukola Famoroti,” she told FIJ.
“At the time, I was told it was dry land and was ready to be built. They sent me all the documentation for that land and made me sign as well.”
The business analyst said she then became shocked when she decided to develop the land and discovered that it was waterlogged and could not be developed in a million years.
“After a while, I decided to start the development of the plot, but I soon discovered that the parcel was waterlogged and not in a million years would anyone live there,” she said.
“When I complained to PWAN Homes about this, they came up with different excuses and said they were about to fill up the land.
“Later, they said they had levelled the land belonging to everyone who bought a piece there. We were made to pay for this, but to this day, nothing has been done on the land.”
Adebiyi further said that this didn’t stop the expenses as PWAN Homes kept charging for more services.
“After they demanded money for the levelling, there were more expenses for the survey, plot allocation and some other things, which cost about N500,000. All of these exclude the fee they collected after one year for dredging,” she said.
“But to this day, I don’t know anyone who has bought into that land. I did contribute some money towards it but I stopped when I realised they were lying. I have communicated several times, and family members and friends have also intervened, but it has been the same story with different lies.
When FIJ called PWAN Homes on Monday, a customer representative agent who didn’t state her name said she would return with information within 24 hours but failed to do that.
FIJ also called on Friday morning; this time the agent asked if their lawyer had reached out to us. When our reporter responded in the negative, she said the lawyer would reach out immediately. However, FIJ had not received any calls or reactions from the firm at press time.
