INVESTIGATION: How predatory housing agents trap and exploit Youths in Ibadan

By David Olatunji

In 2023, Oluwanifemi Abraham gained admission into the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation, Apata, to study Animal Health. Following his admission into the new school, he began house-hunting, with the aim of securing accommodation in areas like Odo-Ona, Apata, and Adabeji due to the close proximity to the school environment.

Abraham was unaware that searching for a home in Ibadan would be a frustrating experience marked by regrets and financial strain caused by his interactions with housing agents. In an interview with The Lagos Voice, he shared his experience with an agent he was referred to by a campus friend.

“I was asked to pay an inspection fee of ₦4000, which caught me off guard since I was aware that the standard fee among Ibadan agents is about two thousand naira for inspection,” he recalled.

Abraham added that he pleaded with the house agent to reduce the inspection fee, knowing fully he might be checking more than one property before finding a better suit within Adabeji. “He allowed me to pay ₦4000 for three house inspections, after pleading. And, I was able to secure my accommodation on the third house inspection.”

However, Abraham noted a demand from the agent that sparked his reaction, even before making the payment for the accommodation. “The house agent asked me to pay a sum of ₦ 2000 supposedly for ‘acceptance fee’, indicating that I accepted one out of many properties I have inspected.”

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Abraham added that upon demands for justification from the agent, he attributed it to be an ‘off-paper payment’, indicating reservation until payments are fully made.“I paid a non-negotiable fee of ₦150,000 for the accommodation with the expectations that basic amenities would be provided in alignment with the promises made by the house agent,” Abraham noted.

After packing in, Oluwanifemi Abraham noticed that the promises of the house agent were not met regarding basic amenities. “He promised that water would be ready before the end of the rent, but even after paying for my second year, water is nowhere to be found, leaving us in limbo.”

Additionally, Abraham claimed that the house agent assured him that the electricity bills would be subsidised monthly. However, the reality is beyond the vow made, making him struggle as a student. “He lied to me about paying a subsidised fee for the prepaid meter subscription monthly. I mostly use my feeding allowance following pressure from the other tenants,” He said regrettably.

Lady forced to relocate to Ilorin after NYSC
Fatima Adeoti was an NYSC corps member posted to serve in the Student Affairs Division at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, for eight months. As a result, she opted for accommodation in areas like Agbowo, Bodija, Ojoo, and other areas near her PPA (primary place of assignment) for convenience.

Initially, Fatima’s budget for a one-bedroom apartment in the area was between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000 per year, but the actual properties shown to her by agents often differed from the advertisements, leading to high costs. “The inspection fee was ₦5,000 each time. I paid multiple fees because sometimes I didn’t like the property shown, or it was above my budget,” Fatima recalled.

Fatima recounted that after multiple inspections, she later considered a self-contained unit that came with a huge, exploitative bill. “The agent told me the annual rent is ₦350,000, but the total package is ₦500,000, excluding extra fees charged of ₦50,000 (for lawyer and agent fees) and a pre-paid meter fee.”

Furthermore, Fatima said the agent explained that the service charge and meter fees were mandatory and standard requirements. Fatima also noted that the fees continued to rise throughout the process, complicating her budgeting efforts. “Paying multiple inspection fees felt unnecessary. The place required me to pay for electricity and any maintenance myself, contrary to the agreement signed.”

However, a few months after occupying the apartment, Fatima received a letter from the house agent saying she would only be allowed to renew her rent if she paid as a new tenant, indicating she would be paying more than the actual payment. “I was told to pay ₦390,000 for rent and even a lawyer’s fee (maybe ₦50,000) that was not indicated in the letter,” she said.

After receiving the letter, Fatima said she requested to be allowed to pay the initial annual rent of ₦350,000, as agreed for subsequent payments before occupying the apartment, while hoping to get an opportunity in Ibadan after finishing NYSC. “I told them I am a Corper, but if I see an opportunity in Ibadan after my service, I will renew.”

After the completion of NYSC and in late December 2025, Fatima Adeoti was forced to move out of her apartment in Ibadan and relocate to Ilorin. She said, “I was not allowed to renew the rent without paying as a new tenant, which forced me to move out after 10 months, following the agent’s disturbance,” she said.

Young man duped of ₦400, 000 by Agent in Ibadan
On the 1st of April, 2026, Abayomi Tunmise Olamide, with the username ‘OLIVE_DC1,’ shared a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) about how an agent based in Ibadan duped him of four hundred thousand naira (₦400, 000) after promising to help him secure an apartment. Through the post, he asked for help from Netizens within the Ibadan metropolis to get his house address and others.

Speaking with The Lagos Voice, Tunmise said the incident started on the 26th of November, 2025, following the expiration of rent in his former house. “My friend, Samuel, introduced him to me as a trusted agent, indicating he also rented his own apartment through him. With this, I had no reason to doubt him. On the 26th of November, 2025, I transferred ₦250, 000 immediately as an upfront payment to secure the apartment,” he recalled.

Tunmise narrated that he visited the apartment in early December, following the initial payment of ₦250, 000, and was told by the occupant of the apartment regarding his intention to move out by month-end, resonating with the agreement the agent had earlier made to him, therefore putting his mind at rest.

By December ending, Tunmise said he received a call from the agent, requesting ₦10, 000, as he was currently stranded. “I sent him the money, bringing the total fund with him to ₦260, 000,” he told The Lagos Voice.

Tunmise added that the tenant occupying the apartment didn’t move out until the middle of January and, even after then, he couldn’t move in, even after full payment of ₦350, 000, following another indication from the agent that the landlord increased the rent by ₦20, 000. “Even with that, I made all the necessary payments, but this man is playing games with me,” he narrated.

In February 2026, after Abayomi Tunmise couldn’t secure the apartment, he demanded a refund from the agent or that he provide another shelter for him. “I told him it seems a refund is an issue, but he should help me find another apartment. Immediately, he sent me another apartment video from another agent, and I was asked to pay an inspection fee of ₦8, 000, but till now, I can’t see anything.”

Aside from the ₦350, 000 rent fee and ₦8,000 new inspection fee already deposited with the agent, Abayomi Tunmise said he has given the agent airtime & data money countless times in a bid to solve his shelter problem. “Sometimes, he would just call me to help him with money, and I would send it. There was even a day he said he wanted to go and inspect another house for me; I still sent some amount, just to make this whole thing get settled as soon as possible,” Tunmise said.

Agents often use ‘total package’ to dupe us — Seyi Afolayan
In 2024, Seyi Afolayan was an NYSC corps member posted to serve in Ibadan, from Ekiti state. She spent almost four months squatting with a family member before securing accommodation, due to her ordeal with housing agents in Ibadan.

During that time, Seyi was targeting areas around Felele in Ibadan due to its closeness to her PPA (Primary Place of Assignment). “I was looking for a self-contained apartment with a budget range of ₦300,000 per year. In most cases of house inspection with a ₦3000 fee, what I saw was always worse than what was advertised. Many of the house inspections led to nothing,” she recalled.

After four months of paying multiple inspection fees to agents in Ibadan, Seyi was able to secure a total package for ₦550,000. “My house rent was ₦350,000, ₦100,000 service charge, agent fee of ₦100,000, bringing the total package to ₦550,000, as explained by the agent, alongside other fees including generator and cleaner.”

Following the exploitative fee paid by Seyi, she was unable to move into the apartment very early, as she couldn’t raise funds to furnish the apartment. She further added that the agent attributed the high fee to a court claim. “The agent said those fees were required by the law of the Country,” Seyi said.

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Immediately after the completion of her NYSC, Seyi moved out of the apartment in a bid to relocate to a nearby south-western state, as she couldn’t renew due to some rising issues in the house. Reflecting on her experience within the Ibadan metropolis, she admitted enjoying the serenity within the city but condemned the housing crisis perpetrated by agents. “House agents in Ibadan use the term ‘total package’ to dupe us, and it looks very annoying to hear,” she said, lamenting.

Lawyer speaks
In an interview with The Lagos Voice, lawyer Habeeb Olayinka stated that housing agents lack the legal authority to request ‘transport fees or inspection’ for showing available properties to potential renters. “Agents can only collect fees when they assist you in securing a specific property of your choice, as outlined in your agreement, and after payment is made. At that point, they are entitled to their agency fee, which is 10% in Lagos and 5% according to Oyo state regulations,” he explained.

Habeeb further noted that charges for items like caution fees, inspection fees, and administrative fees are commonly imposed by housing agents without any legal justification. “Agents are only entitled to a commission of 10% or 5% if the apartment has been successfully secured, as per the law,” he emphasised.

Additionally, he mentioned that renters have the right to take legal action if an agent promises certain amenities that are later found to be absent upon moving in, which constitutes misrepresentation or a breach of contract. “If any fees are presented to you after solidifying the ‘total package of the apartment’ with the agent, you can contest them, as this violates your consumer rights,” he stated.

Olayinka also advocates for improved housing management in Oyo state, suggesting that all housing agents in the area should be registered with the government, and that clear laws should be established to clarify the legitimacy of fees like caution and inspection charges imposed on renters.

Expert calls on Oyo government to improve on Housing Regulation across the State
A public affairs analyst, Mr Babayomi Kayode, has called on the Oyo State government to improve the structural plan and address weak regulations within the housing sector. While speaking to The Lagos Voice, he described the housing crisis as a major challenge facing Ibadan residents currently.

He said, “In Oyo State (Ibadan precisely), there is rapid growth in housing and urban development with growing numbers of people moving into Ibadan and other nearby cities. However, there is no structural plan by the government, as seen in the weak regulations, leading to how housing agents exploit their clients.”

Mr Babayomi added that agents are the major drivers of the housing crisis in Ibadan, as many even suggest particular amounts for landlords to sublet their houses and decide on other charges to be added. “Agents often instigate landlords against tenants and come up with fraudulent tenant agreements which cannot be proved in the court of law, leaving renters filled with desperation to fall prey,” he said.

However, Mr Babayomi believes the Oyo State government is a major accountability mechanism to curb this menace by regulating the sector. He said, “We need a law to be passed regulating housing rents and services. There should be a guide for both landlords and agents. Following the assent of the bill, the government should ensure strict compliance and accountability to measure the impact on people.”

Babayomi added that the rampant rent exploitation in Ibadan has contributed to the rise in poverty in society, as many residents often venture into loans to afford rent. He also believes public awareness is vital in pushing for change and calls on the media to raise the bar of information by helping to pass information across to the wider public.

Oyo State government efforts
On the 22, of January, the Oyo State government held a key stakeholder engagement meeting with the Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association, Oyo chapter, to address rampant rent and commission extortion by house agents.

According to a Nigerian Tribune report, the Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development in Oyo, Hon. Akin-Funmilayo Williams, emphasised in the meeting that while the government cannot dictate rent amounts charged by landlords, agent activities (including fees and commissions) can and should be regulated by law.

However, the meeting can be said to build on prior discussions in the Oyo State House of Assembly, where the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin pledged decisive action, including setting up a committee to draft a bill regulating house agents and curbing their excesses statewide.

Notably, the meeting ended on the premise that both sides (Oyo state government and Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association, Oyo chapter) agreed to develop a joint position paper to guide the House of Assembly’s legislative deliberations, ensuring any new law reflects contributions from government, agents, and other stakeholders for better enforcement.

Also, further agreement in the meeting includes: Commission cap at 3–5% of annual rent, Mandatory agent registration and regulation under the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development to flush out unregistered or unethical operators, Abolition of certain fees, and sanctions for unregistered practices.

In a bid to get an update on the current status of the regulatory frameworks, The Lagos Voice reached out to Oyo state Commissioner for Housing and Urban development, Hon. Akin-Funmilayo Williams, through WhatsApp messages on Monday 23rd, March 2026 and Wednesday, 25th March 2026, without getting any response. Subsequently, The Lagos Voice placed several calls to him on Thursday, 26th March 2026, but all efforts to reach him proved abortive.

In a similar development, The Lagos Voice reached out to Hon Akinsete Olakunle, Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Housing and Urban Development, but no response was gotten from him, as of the time of filing this report.

Way Forward
As Ibadan’s housing market becomes a profitable business for predatory agents, the Oyo state government needs to force a change to prevent youth from continuing to pay the price, through the proposed housing agent registration systems, among other regulations.

The stories of Oluwanifemi, Fatima, Tunmise and Seyi should not be isolated, because they are symptoms of a broken system that thrives in silence. With the implementation of the house regulation bill still lingering as of April, the Oyo state government needs to act quickly in protecting youths in Ibadan from further exploitation.

Because one thing is certain, without stricter enforcement, transparent housing practices, and public vigilance, predatory agents will continue to operate unchecked.