A Nigerian-born US Army veteran, Joseph Ogwuche, and Nigerian music star Felix Duke are embroiled in a dispute over an alleged N23 million real estate fraud linked to the Creative Industry Group (CIG).
Ogwuche claims he was defrauded by Duke through false representations regarding a land purchase, while Duke insists that the situation stemmed from a legitimate real estate deal that went awry.
In a petition to the Police at the State CID in Panti, Lagos, represented by Vox Dei Attorneys, Ogwuche alleges that Duke made claims about the Creative Industry Power Estate, which led him to invest his hard-earned money in purchasing land. According to the petition, Duke asserted that the land was situated near the Atlantic seaside in Ibeju-Lekki, specifically at Ise-Akodo, and was covered by a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). Ogwuche stated that he intended to buy 10 plots at N3.7 million each, totaling N37 million.
By March 2022, Ogwuche had made a partial payment of N22 million but ceased further payments after discreetly inquiring with the Baale of Ise community in Ibeju-Lekki. He discovered that Duke was unknown to them and that no such Creative Industry Group Estate existed in their land.
Ogwuche alleged he had previously paid Duke N22 million and was then asked to pay an additional N7 million for two plots at Sangotedo. Duke purportedly claimed that this payment would allow him to secure the necessary funds to register and confirm his title for another land at Sangotedo. To further investigate, Ogwuche, through his lawyers, requested a Charting Report from the Office of the Surveyor General of Lagos State, which revealed the draft survey plan provided by Duke was fake.
In response to the allegations, Duke denied defrauding Ogwuche. He explained that Ogwuche approached him through a member of the CIG to buy 10 plots from their estate sales. Duke stated there was a mix-up with the purchasing company, which he communicated to Ogwuche. Consequently, he offered Ogwuche alternative land at Sangotedo for N15 million per plot as compensation for the payment already made.
Duke asserted, “The police conducted their investigations and found that I didn’t defraud anyone. When Ogwuche learned that the police did not support his claims, he escalated the matter to the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja.”