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Practitioners alert Lagosians on fake survey plans

By Bertram Nwannekanma
14 November 2017   |   4:08 am
Piqued by the circulation of fake survey plans in Lagos, land surveyors have warned against the activities of quacks and unscrupulous elements parading themselves as professionals.

Piqued by the circulation of fake survey plans in Lagos, land surveyors have warned against the activities of quacks and unscrupulous elements parading themselves as professionals.

Chairman of the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) Lagos State Branch, Odetunmibi Olufemi expressed concerns following the arraignment of two fake land surveyors accused of alleged impersonation and forgery at an Ikeja Magistrate Court, sitting in Ogudu, Lagos.

The suspects, Moses Ayodele and Oluwatobi Ononuga were arraigned by the police at an Ikeja Magistrate Court for conspiring with others to commit felony to with impersonation and forgery, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria.

They were also accused of forging a stamp and seal belonging to a deceased registered surveyor, late Victor Okolo to prepare counterfeit survey plans to unsuspecting members of the public, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 365 subsection (1) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015 against to have been fraudulently presenting themselves as registered surveyors and members of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors.

According to the police, the arrest of the suspects followed a petition signed by one Shamsideen Olaleye, a lawyer, who acted as solicitors to Gracias Property and Sylvia Property.

In the petition, Olalye claimed that Mr. Moses Ayodele presented himself as a registered surveyor to their companies and they have had him on the list of the companies’ consultants as one of the companies registered surveyors.

According to the petition, Mr. Ayodele has drawn many survey plans for individuals who had purchased landed property from the companies without any of them suspecting that the survey plans were illegal.

But on Friday, October, 26, 2017, one Mrs. Winifred reported at Police Divisional Headquarters, Ketu, Lagos State, that the survey plan given to her by one of the surveyors of the companies was fake and subsequent upon this discovery, she invited the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) Lagos State Branch to intervene.

Olufemi confirmed that the accused persons prepared the survey plan using the name of a late surveyor and have also been parading themselves as registered surveyors for quite some time before the long arms of the law finally caught up with them, the association has shown interest in the matter.

Odetunmibi, a fellow of the Nigeria Institution of Surveyors (NIS) also ascribed the frequent and often successful attempt to swindle the public on the fact that people are always looking for ways to cut corners and to continuously engage quacks rather than professionals for their survey jobs. This, according to him is responsible for the numerous fake land surveys in circulation

While urging the general public to have a new mind set and make conscious efforts to report suspected cases of fake surveys appropriately whenever they come across any, he called on residents to be cautious and to ensure they always engage qualified and registered practitioners for their jobs

Also the Secretary of the branch, Adedeji Olanrewaju applauded the arrest of the fake surveyors, saying if the nefarious activities of such impostors is not checked, many innocent citizens, businessmen and women will fall victim of their fraudulent activities.

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