CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
It must be a double jeopardy for a 35-year old visually-impaired man, John Sunday who has been dumped by his wife, Chidinma almost at the same time he got duped by an estate agent, Prince Demola Cornell who defrauded him of N280,000 under the pretense of letting out an apartment to him in Lagos.
The man seems to have lost everything as he has no family or accommodation and now sleeps inside a bus on Lagos streets daily.
Sunday, an Isiala Ngwa, Abia State-born and graduate of Blind Centre, Oshodi, Lagos, said he has not seen or heard from his wife, who eloped with their two kids, since he fell victim of Cornell who duped him of the money he was given by a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God to secure an accommodation.
He said his wife moved out of their former apartment to an unknown place with their kids after she complained that she could not cope with the situation.
Sunday said it was a good Samaritan who rented the last apartment for his family at 21 Aguntasholo Street in Ilasamaja, Lagos but when the rent elapsed after five years, the landlord of the house asked him to pack out.
He said it was then that he solicited for an assistance from his church at Gbagada and he was given the money to pay for rent.
He then contacted Cornell, who claimed to be an estate agent, and showed him an apartment at 22 Dauda Oseni Street in Ilasamaja.
The troubled man said the agent followed him to a branch of GT Bank Plc at Abimbola Way in Ilasamaja where he withdrew the whole money in his account and paid him.
Sunday said trouble started when he wanted to move in and the agent told him that the landlord did not want him.
He then demanded for the refund of his money, but the agent said he has already spent the money.
“This happened since 2015 and my family has had no place to move in which made my wife to leave me,” Sunday said.
The victim told P.M.EXPRESS that while he was at the Blind Centre in Oshodi, he learnt how to make soap and air freshener, weaving and other handwork.
“When I produce those items to sell, the patrons will buy from me but mostly pay me with fake money. This has frustrated me out of the business,” the visually-impaired man lamented.
He said he needs help but it appears nobody wants to assist except the church which has carried the burden and it was not enough to cater for his family.
Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that the agent, Cornel has been arrested and charged before Isolo Magistrates court for fraud.
He pleaded not guilty, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Adedayo granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum which he had perfected.
The matter was further adjourned till 16 May 2017 for trial.
When our correspondent contacted the agent, he admitted that he collected the money and he will pay him back gradually which he claimed he has already started paying.