I was halfway through watching a documentary on my laptop about frogs and their mating habits—do not ask me why—when my phone buzzed.
"Aunty! A huge opportunity just popped up! I swear, this one is a jackpot!"
It was my cousin, Junior. Yes, the same Junior who initially wanted to sell my most cherished organic air purifier that turned out to be an overused car freshener.
Regardless, I picked up. "Family is family," I muttered.
"Junior, what is it this time? I hope it's not the crypto found in heaven, forex spotted underground, or exporting cassava. Junior, I'm not interested," I said bluntly.
He bursted into laughter, balancing his tone, still giggling underneath his voice. "No, no, Aunty, it's none of that! This is real estate. Legit stuff! They are selling plots and properties at Lekki at pre-launch prices. If we invest now, it will definitely double in value just within two months!" he convinced me enthusiastically.
And there it was—the exact delibrate line that always triggered my internal alarm: "double in value within two months."
"Send me the brochure," I said promptly.
Within a few minutes, a beautiful and well-designed e-brochure arrived in my inbox. It had pictures of green lawns, a majestic estate gate, and some smiling models who looked like they had just bought land in heaven. The estate name? "Palm Rich Garden Phase 12." I almost choked on my snack.
"Phase twelve?" I asked when I called him back. "so where are the other eleven?" I queried.
"They are already sold out!" he replied proudly. ” This one is the hot cake now!"
Still, something was definitely off; something didn't feel right. However, I just decided to play along, at least for now.
"Where exactly is the estate located?" I asked.
"It's a bit farther from Ajah; the area is still a bit bushy, though, but development is coming in fast." he assured me.
"So, can I visit the site?"
There was a sudden pause. His voice was shaky. "Eh...of course, but the next inspection is on Saturday. However, they insisted that inorder to secure the price, payment must be made first." he said hurriedly.
"of course," Is all I could say.
I told Junior I would think it through and get back to him, then I hung up. My suspicion was moderate at least; I just needed to be triple sure, if at all I would be paying any money. Immediately, I went into detective mode. I penned down every suspicious piece of information. whether true or false. I just wrote them down—anything that might help me figure out if the estate was genuine.
Firstly, I searched the name Palm Rich Gardens Phase 12. Only one result came up—an estate with a completely different logo and an entirely different developer. Then I looked up the company behind the one Junior had mention to me earlier, Elshaddai Real Estate and Agro Ltd.
"Hmmm! It sounded religious enough to gain people's trust." I reasoned.
However, the Corporate Affairs Commission showed that the company was just four months old—and what's more, it was not even registered under real estate. It was only listed as a general trading business. Yet another shocking discovery: the address provided online led directly to a tailor's shop in Surulere.
That's when I truly smelled a rat.
Nevertheless, I needed further confirmation. I glanced through the brochure thoroughly from back to cover, scanning every word on it. I then discovered a customer care line listed below. I picked up my phone and dialed the number. A woman answered with an exaggerated British accent.
"Good afternoon, Elshaddai Real Estate, how may I help you?" the woman said.
"Yes, of course, I am very interested in Palm Rich Phase 12. Could you enlighten me more about the project? I would also like to know who owns the land."
Suddenly, there was a weird pause. But finally, she spoke after a few minutes of silence. "Oh! Okay, the land is actually registered under our managing director, but we are currently processing government approval," she finally admitted, suddenly slipping into her natural accent mid-sentence.
"Exactly what I needed to hear," I whispered.
Then, immediately, I called Junior back.
"Hello Junior, I have done my research. The land does not have a title. The company is barely existing. If you pay them any money, you might never see it again. The land is still awaiting government excision, so it is not approved for sale or even to be developed upon. Infact, it is possible that the land is owned by the government or may be part of a community ancestral land. Definitely, this is an extremely risky purchase." I outlined my investigation with clarity and firmness in my voice.
Junior was really quiet for a moment and then he stuttered, "Are...are...are you sure?"
That evening, Junior came over to my house looking shaken.
"You would have bought a bush," I chuckled, sipping my drink like a wise village elder.
He laughed—but it was the nervous laughter of someone who had just narrowly escaped disaster.
"Thank you, Aunty, for helping me dodge that huge disaster, I didn't even smell the rat coming; I honestly thought it was a legit business opportunity." he explained still shaking in shock.
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