Adekola Ademboni, a Lagos State resident, was looking for an apartment in November 2024 when Sunday Benson, his pastor, told him about a property in Odunsi, Bariga area of the state.
Benson was an agent acting in the interest of the developer of this property on No. 33, Odo-Oba Street. The pastor demanded N2.8 million in exchange for a 15-year lease, and N600,000 for the agreement and commission.
On November 12, Ademboni paid N1 million into the First Bank account of Samuel George, the developer, and then sent N300,000 to Benson’s Guaranty Trust Bank account. The first payment was for the rent, while the latter was for the agreement and commission.
With these deposit payments, he felt confident he had secured the apartment, but as he was putting together the rest of the money, Benson leased the property to another tenant.
This move did not disappoint Ademboni, he told FIJ. But when he asked the pastor to return his money, Benson said he did not have it yet.
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“The apartment is a self-contained room, and we agreed to payment in three instalments,” Ademboni told FIJ.
“After the first payments, I had issues paying the balance, so I even proposed that he find someone else to take the property.
“I also said I was going to help look for tenants for him. At that time, I did not ask him for a refund. Then, in June, I was able to raise the rest of the money. I approached him to pay, but he said the grace period had elapsed, and he had already found someone willing to take the space.
“Since I was not allowed to pay the balance, I said it was fine, and I was not offended even though he did not tell me earlier. What I then asked for was a refund. Since someone already paid a deposit that was more than what I paid, he was supposed to have enough money to refund me.”
Benson asked for some time and promised to pay him in July.
Ademboni later learnt from another agent that the pastor’s demand for the agreement fee was exorbitant.
“Another agent told me that for deals like this one, agents only get commission, and the standard fee is 5% of the rent,” he told FIJ.
He also said he did not get to meet George until the issues began. When he met George for the first time, the developer told him Benson did not tell him about a lease, but about rents. A subsequent meeting of all three men did not happen as George did not show up.
On July 21, FIJ called Benson. The pastor admitted to owing Ademboni, but said the developer already promised to repay N1 million by the end of the month.
When FIJ asked when he was going to return the N300,000 agreement fee, he said, “I have already told him he will receive the bulk of the money, which is the N1 million by July 31. The other one will come later.”
On Monday, FIJ called George to ask about the refund, but the developer said he had to see Ademboni first.
“I cannot deny he paid me,” George told FIJ. “But I don’t know him in person. He came to meet me once, and I said all three of us should see. He should come and see me with Benson, then we will sort it out.”
Ademboni insists he has tried setting up a meeting with all three parties, but it proves abortive.
The post Pastor Sunday Benson Collected Lagos Resident’s N1.3m for Leasehold. Property Went to Someone Else, No Refund in Sight appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.