An inmate at the Kirikiri prison, Alhaji Lukman Adewale has been named as the brain behind a recent fraud on Adekujo street, Alakuko area of Lagos state. 45 year old Adeniyi Owolabi allegedly collected money from 12 people on behalf of Alhaji Lukman, promising to allocate them apartments in the house at a specific date According to Punch, Adewale who is facing criminal charges for alleged fraudulent sale of a house masterminded the fraud of a couple and 11 others by instructing his apprentice, Adeniyi Owolabi to position himself as an agent in charge of a house undergoing construction in Alakuko. Consequently, 45 year old Owolabi collected money from 12 people, promising to allocate them apartments in the house at a specific date. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Fire outbreak at Kano Airport However, on getting to the house on the appointed day, the victims discovered that the apartments had been occupied by unknown persons. NAIJ.com learnt that the matter was promptly reported at the Alakuko police division. However, the police found out during investigation that the crime mastermind was Adewale, a resident of the Kirikiri prison. When interrogated, Adewale confessed and helped the police in luring out his apprentice who had hitherto fled immediately the victims discovered their loss. Speaking to Punch, a relative of the new couple, who crave anonymity, said the couple are now lodged in a hotel. “My brother and his wife got married last Saturday with the hope of moving into the house. They paid N100,000 as deposit for a flat, and promised to balance the rent. They later discovered that they had been defrauded. They now stay in a hotel pending when they will resolve the issue,” he said. Another victim, Abatan Abiola, claimed he paid N70,000 as part-payment for a room-and- parlour apartment.. He said: “He said he was the agent in charge of the house. In order to have evidence, we videotaped him while he was collecting the money. “He said I should come for the house keys on March 16. But to my surprise, I met five other people in the house, laying claim to the same apartment. While we were arguing, other victims joined us and the number grew to 12 persons. He had collected over N1m from us. “The house has three room-and-parlour apartments and a two bed-roomed flat. We saw that those who occupied the apartments actually forced themselves in. The house does not have a toilet or bathroom; nothing is in place yet.” A house agent, Amos Afolayan whose clients were also duped said his clients paid Owolabi N300,000, N230,000 and N100,000, for a two bed-roomed flat, a flat, and a room-and-parlour apartment, respectively. READ ALSO: Weapons of Biafran war displayed in Owerri “He told us he was the agent in charge of the house. I observed that the top floor of the house was still under construction, while a part of the ground floor had been completed. My clients paid the rents, including agreement, commission and caution fees. When we went to take possession of the apartments, we learnt he had fled. The completed apartments had been occupied. “Before now, he had given us the contact of his boss, Adewale. Anytime we called Adewale, he would say he was in Ilorin, Kwara state. At another time, he said he was sick and had a surgery. He said he was recuperating. He usually picked our calls. If he missed a call, he would return it. “We saw a lawyer who claimed to be representing him. The lawyer told us that Adewale would be back the following week and we should be patient. He was about leaving when we held him and handed him over to the police.” During interrogation however, the lawyer confessed that he was fake. Meanwhile, while speaking with the press, Owolabi said his boss tricked and handed him over to the police. “The house in question used to be a school before the owner decided to convert it to a residential building. She asked my boss to develop the building because she didn’t have money. My boss was on the job when he ran into trouble. He is in the Kirikiri prison because of a house he sold. “He called me from the prison that I should take over from where he stopped. He has a phone with which he calls people. Some of those that my boss had collected money from before forced themselves into the house and that created a problem for me. “I collected about N750,000 from five people. I told them I would be returning their money in instalments, but they refused. It was my boss that set a trap for me after which the police arrested me.” A top official of the Nigerian Prisons Service, who craves anonymity, however denied that Adewale was the brain behind the fraud. He said: “The developer has been remanded since last year and there has not been any communication between him and the apprentice. The apprentice took advantage of the developer’s condition to commit the fraud. They have not been having any dealings since his incarceration.”