The real estate dispute between a United States-based Nigerian nurse, Modupe Allen, and a Lagos-based realtor, Florence Eze-Obiene, has taken a sharper turn, with the petitioner flatly rejecting what she described as a “repackaged” offer and insisting on the immediate refund of ₦5.6 million allegedly paid as commission for a transaction that never materialised.
Allen had earlier petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the failed purchase of a two-bedroom apartment at Dideolu Estate, Ogba GRA, Lagos.
The transaction, which began in December 2025, collapsed after the property owner reportedly increased the price. While the seller refunded the purchase price paid for the apartment, Allen alleged that ₦5.6 million collected as agency and facilitation fees was withheld, despite the deal not being consummated and possession never taken.
After the initial published report on the matter, Eze-Obiene and her company, Davita Realtors, reportedly reached out to Allen again, renewing an earlier proposal that the disputed commission be applied toward sourcing another property for her, with no additional agency fees to be charged.
Allen, however, rejected the proposal outright.
The petitioner made it clear that she was not interested in “another promise or another search,” but wanted a straightforward refund of the commission already paid, stressing that the original mandate failed and therefore could not justify retention of agency fees.
“I never took over the Dideolu Estate property, never signed completion documents, and never benefited from the transaction in any form. My demand is simple: since there is no deal, she should refund the commission.”
Eze-Obiene, however, has consistently denied any fraudulent intent, describing the issue as a contractual disagreement rather than a criminal matter. She had earlier argued that the commission was shared among multiple realtors involved in the transaction, making an outright refund difficult, hence the offer to offset the amount against a new property search.
Meanwhile, Allen views that explanation as untenable, insisting that internal sharing arrangements among agents should not override her right to a refund where a transaction collapses without completion.
As of the time of filing this report, the dispute remains unresolved, with Allen maintaining her petitions before law enforcement agencies and the realtor holding on to a service-based resolution, deepening a standoff that now raises broader questions about accountability, commission practices, and consumer protection in Nigeria’s real estate sector.
The complainant has already taken the matter to the EFCC and Inspector General of Police.
