By correspondent in Lokoja.
Many landlords in Lokoja, Kogi State Capital,north central Nigeria now prefer to rent their houses to suspected advance fee fraudsters (Yahoo Boys), as tenants.
This , according to them, is because the yahoo boys can afford such exorbitant rent at the detriment of potential tenants running legitimate and genuine businesses.
Mr.Peter Suleiman, Chief Executive Officer, Good Trust Estate Management Limited, disclosed this in lokoja during a press conference.
He estate expert,who appealed to the state government to urgently check the excesses of these landlords, noting that their action meant exploitation of genuine potential tenants , argued that the unhealthy development encouraged crime in the state.
He also expressed concern that as these landlords charged exorbitant rent, they failed to add value to their houses to make such structures conducive for the tenants.
He said:“It is quite unfortunate that landlords in Lokoja and its environs prefer to give their houses to yahoo boys instead of law abiding citizens.
“Just recently, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) apprehended some yahoo boys in Lokoja. Since they now know that staying in an hotel will expose their nefarious activities, they now prefer renting houses.
“When they approach these landlords, they can pay for a single or room and self contained for two or more years at a high amount.
” Can you imagine, if you approach these landlords for house, they will open up to you that if you are not a yahoo boy, they won’t give you their houses, because they are not sure if you can pay the next rent. Also, they will insist that you pay for two years.
“The essence of them insisting on Yahoo boys is that,they know these guys will not stay fully in the house before exiting. What is now the hope of the common man who is doing genuine business on the street? This is promoting cyber fraud.
“Everybody can not do cyber fraud or yahoo yahoo as they all call it.
“The Kogi State Government should as a matter of urgency, come up with a policy to checkmate the excesses of these house owners in Lokoja, and other parts of Kogi State.
“This is necessary before all our children, including our young generation, see advance fee fraud as the best line of making money.” he said.
Suleiman also lamented on the prevalence of fake house agents operating in the state.
“These fake house agents masquerading around are the people deceiving these landlords by bringing Yahoo boys who will pay heavily for house rent.
” Kogi State is a civil servant state and does not deserve this level of exploitation amidst this harsh economy.
“Recently, I was managing one house, the landlord called me that he has jerked up his rent from N150, 000 to N600,000.
” I now asked, what are the modalities for this sudden increase when there is no renovation in the house? He told me, openly that, in the compound next to him,an agent brought some boys that paid N700,000 for house rent, and I expected him to still remain with the old price?
“This is barbaric, satanic and should be stopped,if not urgently addressed, Kogi State will be snowballing into a hub of cyber fraud,simply because of the mindset of these landlords who want to amass quick wealth for themselves without considering the implications,” he said.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
