Soludo Vows Crackdown on Extortionist Real Estate Agents in Anambra

​AWKA — Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has issued a stern warning to real estate agents operating within the state, promising a decisive government crackdown on those exploiting prospective tenants through illegal and inflated fees.

​The Governor gave the warning while addressing a gathering of residents, where he expressed deep dissatisfaction with the ballooning cost of housing and the predatory practices of middle-men in the state’s property market.

​According to Soludo, the state government has been inundated with public complaints regarding the underhanded tactics of property agents. He noted that many agents deliberately circumvent the legally stipulated 10 per cent agency fee on yearly rent, inventing arbitrary surcharges to squeeze more money out of desperate house-seekers.

​“I learnt that after tenants pay their house rent, agents still collect additional fees from them,” the Governor stated. “House agents in Anambra State should get ready; we are coming for them soon.”

​Curbing Market Exploitation

​The administration’s sudden spotlight on property middle-men comes at a critical time when inflation and rising urban migration are driving up housing costs in major Anambra hubs like Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi.

​While the law recognizes a 10 per cent charge on rent for agency services, tenants routinely complain about being forced to pay for a myriad of unauthorized line items. These often include exorbitant “caution fees,” “agreement fees,” “inspection fees,” and separate service charges that sometimes equal or exceed the actual cost of the annual rent.

​Economic analysts point out that these unchecked costs have worsened the economic burden on residents, pricing low- and middle-income earners out of decent accommodation.

​A Broader Housing Sector Reform

​Soludo’s warning aligns with recent, broader legislative and administrative pushes by the Anambra State Government to sanitize its land and housing sectors. The state Ministry of Housing, alongside the Awka Estate Agents Association, has recently initiated moves to formalize and regulate the sector to filter out unregistered or fraudulent operators.

​Furthermore, the state government recently announced plans to establish a comprehensive mass housing policy in collaboration with private investors to expand supply and naturally crash the skyrocketing cost of rentals.

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​Industry watchers believe that if the Governor follows through with the planned enforcement, it will provide much-needed relief to tenants and restore sanity to a real estate market currently plagued by non-regulation and exploitation.

​Governor Soludo urged residents to report incidents of extortion to appropriate state channels, maintaining that his administration remains fully committed to protecting the economic well-being of all citizens against predatory business practices.