Ojo Olajide, a Lagos-based realtor, has narrated how Pastor Oyedele Oyedeji Cornelius, whom he helped facilitate the sale of a landed property, refused to pay him an agreed agency commission and denied knowing him after a successful property sale.

Olajide explained to FIJ that he advertised a building structure on Jiji in May 2021 and the pastor contacted him for an inspection and negotiation. He further said Cornelius could not proceed with the purchase of the building for lack of adequate funds.

Olajide said due to his financial situation, the pastor decided to put up one of his buildings for sale to get enough money to build a permanent worship centre for his church.

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With their negotiation now shifted to the sale of the pastor’s property, the agent said both of them agreed on a commission upon a successful sale.

“I met pastor Oyedeji Oyedele Cornelius when I was marketing a property on Jiji. He indicated interest in the property. But after he checked the property in Ogba, he could not afford it. He then informed me he had a property he would want me to help him sell,” Olajide explained to FIJ.

“As a matter of fact, we agreed my agency fee would be 3% of whatever the purchase price was.”

He said the pastor, who is the general overseer of Bethel Evangelical Deliverance Christ Ministry, Ojodu, Lagos, took him to the property location in Ogba for assessment.

MARKETING BROUGHT A BUYER

“The land measured 619.433 square metres and I began marketing it. I eventually found one interested buyer, through Mr. Niyi, a partner. In the end, the property was sold for N60 million.

“From the purchase price, my agency fee was supposed to be N1.8 million. I was dumbstruck when the general overseer issued me a cheque of N400,000. When I asked why, he said he would pay the balance when the buyer completed the payment.”

Olajide said he exchanged some messages with the pastor when the non-payment of his complete fee got to the peak, but the pastor denied ever engaging him for such transaction.

DENIAL

“I received the shock of my life when the pastor replied one of my lawyer’s letters that he did not know me, adding that he only gave me that N400,000 because I lamented lack of money when my wife delivered our baby,” said Olajide.

“The pastor has cheated me. It is very hurtful that he is holding on to my N1.4 million. As an estate agent, some of my partners were involved in the sale facilitation and I am obligated to pay them. Up till now, they are still on my neck, asking when I would pay them for their efforts.

“His claim that he only dashed me a whooping N400,000 is laughable. Some of his documents for other properties are still with me because he asked me to market them after the first deal was successful. How does he truthfully explain that he gave me that money without having any transaction with me? We are not family, so it beats my imagination that he is lying as much as this.”

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Pastor Cornelius, when responding to FIJ’s request for comments, maintained that his encounter with Olajide was not connected with property transaction.

Pastor Cornelius said, “I don’t have any business relationship with the man you are talking about. It is true that I gave him money and that was because he was literally in need of such assistance when he said his wife delivered a baby. Whatever he wants to do, he should go ahead with it.”