EFCC nabs Abuja house agent over alleged N288m property scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested an Abuja-based real estate agent over an alleged property fraud involving the sum of N288 million, in what investigators say is a classic case of advance fee deception in Nigeria’s high-end property market.

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arrested the suspect, Hajia Adama Ahmed Adamu, over an alleged property fraud totalling N288 million. She allegedly obtained the money from a complainant, Alhaji Tanko Yawale, under the pretext of facilitating the purchase of a property located at House 31, Haile Selassie Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

Following the payment, Hajia Adamu allegedly failed to provide the complainant with valid documents for the property and subsequently became evasive, raising suspicion and prompting a formal petition to the EFCC.

The arrest was handled by the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate, indicating that investigative leads in the case extended beyond the Federal Capital Territory. It is not yet clear whether the suspect has been charged in court or is still being held for questioning, as the EFCC did not immediately release further details on the next steps in the case.

The development is consistent with a broader pattern of real estate fraud the EFCC has been actively combating across Nigeria. Property scams in which agents or intermediaries collect large sums from buyers for properties they neither own nor have authority to sell, have become increasingly common in Abuja’s prime real estate districts, including Asokoro, Maitama, and Wuse.

The EFCC has not indicated whether other suspects are being sought in connection with the alleged fraud. Hajia Adamu is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.