• Threatens protests, EFCC petition as calls for reform in Nigeria’s real estate sector intensify
The Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG), a coalition of over 17 civil society organizations, has issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to Pwan Real Estate Company over an unresolved property transaction involving a Nigerian citizen, Mr. Tochukwu Ariwodo.
The group is demanding that the company either furnish full legal ownership documents for the plot of land purchased by Mr. Ariwodo or refund ₦13 million, the current market value of the property.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, themed “Addressing Real Estate Irregularities, Unchecked Practices; A Clarion Call for Reform, Accountability and Justice,” the group’s Public Relations Officer, Comrade Austin Peacemaker Inaede, decried what he described as “systemic exploitation and unchecked impunity” within Nigeria’s real estate sector.
According to the group, Mr. Ariwodo paid ₦4,430 million in 2022 for a 600-square-meter plot at Pwan Prestige Estate, Lagos. Despite numerous follow-ups, he has not received critical legal documents such as a Deed of Assignment, Survey Plan, or Certificate of Occupancy, requirements for formal property ownership under Nigerian law. Instead, he was only issued a payment receipt, letter of allocation, and a contract of sale, all of which the group insists are legally insufficient.
“Our investigation shows that this is not an isolated case.
Many Nigerians have fallen victim to similar practices by the same company. This raises the alarm about a deeply troubling pattern of abuse,” Comr. Inaede stated.
CSGGG vowed to escalate its campaign should the company fail to comply within seven days. Planned actions include a nationwide protest, official petitions to the EFCC and the Nigeria Police Force, and engagement with international human rights bodies.
The organization also used the platform to call on the EFCC to launch a formal investigation into Pwan’s operations, urged the Ministry of Works and Housing to strengthen oversight on estate developers, and asked the Nigerian Bar Association to provide legal assistance to victims of real estate fraud.
“This is a clarion call for accountability and justice. Property ownership is not a privilege, it is a right. And we will not rest until that right is protected for all Nigerians,” the group concluded.
The group also invited other affected individuals to come forward with their stories, promising collective legal and civil action to bring errant developers to justice.