Homeowner Stranded Three Years After Full Payment to Lekki Garden
More than three years after fully paying N17.5 million for a home, Benedict Adejinle remains a tenant, caught in a distressing property dispute with developer Lekki Gardens at Meridian Park Estate in Lagos.
Adejinle paid in full by January 2022 for a three-bedroom maisonette and was given a provisional allocation in December 2021.
Despite repeated promised deadlines for the delayed delivery, the house was never handed over.
Now, in a shocking turn, the completed house is being withheld. Adejinle alleges the estate is demanding an additional N14 million—a condition he insists was never part of their agreement—before releasing the property.
‘Full Payment Since 2022’
“They were supposed to deliver by September 2022, but we’ve only received excuses.”
Complaints to LASRERA, FCCPC, and EFCC
Frustrated by the standstill, Adejinle escalated the matter to regulators. He filed complaints with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
After Lekki Gardens failed to appear at a LASRERA meeting, the case was referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A Sudden Price Hike and Changed Unit
Following EFCC involvement, construction progressed, but new issues arose. Adejinle was first told his allocated unit in a completed building was not his. When a second building was finished, communication ceased.
After weeks of silence, the developer returned with a new demand: the three-bedroom had been “mistakenly” built as a four-bedroom, requiring an extra N14 million plus fees, bringing the new total to N21 million.
“They offered a 50% concession, but I declined,” Adejinle stated. “I don’t owe them. I paid for a three-bedroom in full. They should compensate me for the delay, not charge me more.”
An Ongoing Ordeal
Despite his full payment, Adejinle remains without his home. “I am ready to pay statutory levies, but not this additional money after years of waiting,” he said. “It’s simply not right.”
This case highlights ongoing consumer protection challenges within Lagos real estate, raising questions about developer accountability and regulatory enforcement.
