Published 19th Apr, 2022

By Emmanuel Uti

Mike Oyediran, a print contractor, has accused Sabre Real Estate, a Lagos-based real estate firm, of refusing to make a N450,000 refund, months after a land purchase agreement was cancelled.

Oyediran told FIJ that he paid N1 million to Sabre Works between December 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, for a piece of land in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

According to the contractor, it was also agreed that he could make the payments in tranches for the land that was worth N1.7 million.

“I had hoped I would be able to pay up the remaining N700,000 in early 2021 but unfortunately, I could not. However, in January this year, I eventually realised that the land was no longer mine,” Oyediran told FIJ.

“My friend, who also paid money to the firm for some plots of land, said someone told him that the Lagos State Government had seized lands belonging to Sabre Works in Ibeju Lekki. Immediately I heard this, I went to their office at Ojota to ask them for the way forward.”

FIRM’S RESPONSE TO LAND ACQUISITION

When Oyediran got to the firm’s office, he was told that the state government’s intention was to create a government reserved area from the lands that were seized.

“I asked Kehinde, the Assistant General Manager who gave me the information why the company have continued to persuade people to buy a land they know the government has acquired. He said they could not stop people from making fresh payments because such action would lead to suspicion from the customers that have been paying for the lands,” he said.

The contractor was later asked by the firm if he would like to be given a land in Epe, as a replacement for the one he lost in Ibeju-Lekki, but he declined.

Oyediran said he turned down the offer because the firm had not been sincere with him from the onset.

“In frustration, I told the firm to refund my money. The Assistant General Manager however told me that the refund process was not automatic,” Oyediran said.

“He said I would have wait for two months and apart from that, he would have to deduct 30 per cent from my N1 million. This happened on February 26. I told him I could not wait that long. Later, he said he would pay me all my money in a month, but he would have to deduct 15 per cent from it.

“Sabre Works paid N400,000 out of N850,000 in the first week of March. But since then, they have vanished. They are rejecting my calls. They do not want to give me the remaining part of my money.”

LATEST FROM SABRE WORKS

On Thursday, Oyediran decided to call Kehinde with a strange number to find out why the firm was avoiding his phone calls.

“The only thing Kehinde could say was that Sabre Works was having issues with their bank accounts,” said Oyediran.

“I know they are playing me. I need my money back.”

When FIJ called Sabre Works’ Assistant General Manager via the phone number provided by Oyediran, he said he could not do much as he was not with his files.

“Please, call me at 9 am tomorrow when I am in the office,” he said. “I cannot do much because today is a public holiday.”

When FIJ called Kehinde again the on Tuesday, he said the contractor would ‘get his money back soon’.”

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