Nigerians seeking accommodation in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, are not having the best of time.

House agents are said to have turned the experience into a nightmare.

Abuja is known for its beautiful landscape, tree-lined boulevards and bustling metropolis. It is the seat of Nigeria’s administrative and political power.

Home to various embassies, government parastatals, private companies and universities, among other amenities like stadiums, hotels and an airport. Abuja embodies the promise of a better life for many migrants who flock to the city in search of greener pastures.

However, findings by we revealed that, for those who seek shelter away from home, the dream can quickly turn into a nightmare.

The housing market in Abuja has become a minefield where unsuspecting renters fall victim to the deceitful tactics of housing agents, who exploit their desperation.

The government and private estate developers have not been able to close the gap between supply and demand, resulting in poorly constructed buildings.

Hence, the pressure on infrastructure has overstretched the city, forcing many to the neighbouring states such as Nasarawa and Niger states.

Not only is it a problem to find affordable housing but the cost of a home in Abuja is also way higher than its monetary value, which includes an incredibly long period of hunting and, for most people, the physical and mental stress of choosing between waterlogged estates or a house unreasonably far from their workplace.

However, that is only a tip of the challenge as the road from inspection to final payment is lined with many crooked agents.

We gathered that it has become compulsory to pay an inspection fee when searching for an apartment in Abuja.

It has also been reported that they influence house owners into jerking up their rent.

Speaking to us, Abdul Abubakar narrated the number of times he was duped by a supposed agent in his quest to get an apartment.

“The number of times I have been scammed is alarming. Some agents have turned this practice into a business, where they collect fees from multiple people under false pretenses.

“On several occasions, I was taken to view an apartment and charged an inspection fee, only to discover that the apartment had already been rented out to someone else.

“Yet, these agents continue to bring apartment seekers to view the property and charge them,” he said.

Also speaking, Mike Okonkwo, who moved to Abuja last year, said he eagerly began his search for a one-bedroom apartment, describing his experience with housing agents as a far cry from what he had expected.

He said, “My worst mistake was allowing my desperation to get the better of me when I eventually paid a commitment fee for a property based solely on the agent’s description and photos.

“It turned out to be a disaster: the property was in a dire state with damp walls and broken facilities in the kitchen and bathroom.”

On her part, Amina Sule bemoaned how house agents have almost become predators feeding fat on their prey, expressing disappointment on how things have turned out in Nigeria.

“It is incredibly disappointing to see how everything in this country becomes an opportunity for scam. Nigerians need to do better.

“I have found myself in several verbal arguments with these scammers. The situation is frustrating, especially when you’re trying to find a place to live and instead, you are met with deceit and exploitation,” she lamented.

According to another victim of house agents exploitation, Kehinde Adeoye, the house market is rife with scams and the house agent is the latest cash cow in Abuja, adding that the lack of regulations governing the housing market in Abuja and its environs has made it easy for the agents to operate with impunity, leaving tenants with little recourse when they are victimised.

Again, Anniefiok Essien, who hails from Akwa-Ibom state but moved to Abuja to earn a living, said his experience with Abuja housing agents had been very unpleasant, revealing that the agents abandoned him to his fate after renting out a two-bedroom apartment in a storey-building with damp walls.

“My experience has been disappointing, to say the least. I moved into my current house six months ago after paying 20 per cent to agents who shared the profit among themselves in my presence.

“My house is in Mararaba and it is a two-bedroomed apartment.

“The rent was N850,000. The agents charged me an additional N150,000 for the house.

“I have yet to recover all that money because they have not fulfilled their promise to me. The kitchen is in bad shape. I have used my money to renovate the house, yet they swore they will use part of the 20 per cent to offset the bills.

“Just last week, after accepting that it is a waste of time waiting for them to fix some of the bad items, I coughed up N30,000 to fix the doors. The caretaker and the agent are all the same.

“During the rainy season last year, the walls got soaked in water. I am talking about a storey-building. God forbid that anything happens,’’ he lamented.

Narrating his own ordeal, Solomon Ogwuche described how desperate Abuja house agents could be, especially insisting to collect inspection or viewing fees.

“I had one agent who gave me a hard time because I refused to view an apartment without first seeing a video of it.

“I didn’t want to waste my time or money on a viewing fee for an apartment I wouldn’t even like. He insisted that I didn’t need to see a video and that I should just come, pay and view it. His attitude changed entirely when I stood my ground, revealing how desperate they are to secure the fee without any genuine service,” he narrated.

Also speaking to us is a couple, Judith and Ameh Peter, who said house agents frustrated them immediately they moved to Abuja after their wedding, stating that they also used several apps to find a house in their preferred location.

“Agents built a house ‘on top of our heads.’ When we first came here after our marriage, we had a budget for the kind of house we were looking for but to our shock, it became a tall dream to find one.

“We used several housing apps to find a house targeting our preferred location. First of all, the agents charged us inspection fees. The lowest we paid was N3,500. Imagine paying about three of them daily. Their transportation fare was also on us.

“The annoying part was that many of the agents we met did not take us to the location we agreed on based on pictures and videos. We trusted them since they were from a registered platform.

“But it is either they told us the house key was with the main agent or that they had a better property to show us. At the end of the day, we had to pay outrageous charges to settle down and focus on other things,” the couple concluded.

According to Sunday John, who lent his voice to the house agent exploitation in Nigeria, “These agents are like bloodthirsty sharks, eager to exploit anyone they can.

“If you are seeking an apartment, be very aware and vigilant. It’s essential to protect yourself from being taken advantage of by these unscrupulous individuals.

“The practice of charging inspection fees in Abuja has become a way for housing agents to scam people out of their money.

“It’s vital for Nigerians to stand up against such practices and demand better.”

Ifeyinwa Ubani said she moved to Abuja following her transfer from Asaba, Delta state, explaining that she has been to no fewer than 20 properties before deciding to settle down in Karu, a suburb of Abuja

She said, “I can tell you that I have seen over 20 properties in this city before I finally paid for the present one in Karu.

“The agent charged me 20 per cent which he said included legal fees. Yet, we did not sign any contractual agreement with a lawyer or witness.

“He brought out an old form which required scanty details after I transferred the money to the landlord’s account. I was very disappointed. I had better expectations of Abuja.”

Another resident, Paul Igoche, who shared his horrible experiences with us, narrated how six different people showed up when he was about to pay the rent of the apartment he acquired after a painful long search.

“During my house search, one agent decided to help me find a suitable apartment in one of the estates in federal housing, Lugbe.

“We toured many locations around Lugbe to find one. Each time I thought my struggles had come to an end, I realised that I had only just begun.

“Finally, when I was about to seal the accommodation deal, six people showed up, all claiming that they were the main agent.

“One said he had direct contact with the owner, and the other one said she was the one who convinced the landlord to bring down the rent because the facility was old.

“The one I contacted said he brought me to the property and convinced me to pay. It was very embarrassing. Everyone had a stake including those I had never met. You needed to see the entourage of agents that followed me,” he added.

On his part, Michael Akor said the gross illegalities being perpetrated by the middlemen (agents) have continued to bite potential tenants hard in their search for apartments in Abuja and its neighbouring localities.

Akor said their activities range from extortion of a high amount of money from potential tenants as agent fees and inspection fees, defrauding the potential tenants of their money without giving them a house, and sometimes, kidnapping the potential tenants.

“As a concerned citizen and a former victim of the current wave of illegalities of the house agents, I am lending my voice on the issue.

“The extortion has made acquisition of houses by tenants within the places under consideration a Herculean and risky venture, especially for low income earners.

“The high vulnerability of people to the fraudulent outings of these agents need to be looked into.

“A one-room self-contained house that used to be N70-80,000 around Mararaba now goes for between N250-350,000. On a normal level, the house owner charges N150,000, but the agents end up inflating it to N250-300,000. Some potential tenants get kidnapped in the process or get defrauded,” he stated.

He urged the government to take proactive measures to curtail the ugly trend by clamping down on the house agents to halt the illegality.

“There should be proper and favourable housing rules which should be tailored towards curtailing the excesses of house owners and agents.

“The agents and house owners should be strictly monitored to operate within the ambit of the law through proper license and certification.

“Potential tenants should also be highly cautious and put excess desperation aside when looking for a house.

“This will reduce their vulnerability to the fraudulent intentions of house agents and house owners.

“On this, payment should be made only after an intensive verification of the authentic details of the house.

“The government should also intensify its effort in providing affordable houses to low income earners through housing schemes,” he concluded.