Adron Homes, one of Nigeria’s biggest real estate companies, is facing public backlash after a customer accused the firm of withholding his ₦4 million payment and demanding over a million naira in “administrative charges” before considering a refund.
The matter first came to light in a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which detailed the experience of a Lagos resident who purchased land from Adron Homes between 2020 and 2021.
The buyer, who asked not to be named, said he sold a property in Ikorodu to raise money after sales agents persuaded him that the land’s value would skyrocket once the Dangote Refinery became fully operational.
“I paid ₦2 million in 2020 and another ₦2 million in 2021. But when it was time to start building, they demanded over ₦11 million in extra fees before I could even take physical possession of the land,” he told FIJ.
Frustrated, he asked for a refund earlier this year. According to him, Adron Homes responded that a 30 percent “administrative deduction” would be applied to any refund request, leaving him stranded.
Following FIJ’s report, other Nigerians began sharing their own experiences with Adron Homes.
Many of the comments echo a common pattern of hidden charges, unclear contracts, and refund policies that heavily favour the company.
One commenter described the contracts as “a trap designed to frustrate buyers,” adding that people are often “handcuffed by surprise charges.”
Another investor, based in Europe, revealed that even after completing full payment, the firm raised infrastructure fees from ₦750,000 to ₦4 million when he tried to resell his property.
A customer who claimed to own seven plots with Adron said he could not sell any because the company insists it won’t help clients resell until its own inventory is exhausted.
Some commenters went as far as likening Adron’s business model to a “Ponzi-style arrangement,” alleging that refunds are funded by incoming deposits from new buyers.
The wave of testimonies has sparked fresh questions about oversight in Nigeria’s fast-growing property sector.
Several contributors to FIJ’s site urged affected buyers to petition the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), which is mandated to monitor developers and protect consumers.
One commenter noted bluntly: “Most developers get away with this because the government isn’t enforcing regulations. Until stricter action is taken, more buyers will keep falling victim.”
As of the time of filing this report, Adron Homes has not responded publicly to the allegations.
Emails reportedly sent by FIJ to the company’s offices reportedly went unanswered.
For now, the affected buyer and many others, remain in limbo.
Their cases highlight both the risks individual investors face and the urgent need for more transparency in Nigeria’s multi-billion-naira real estate industry.
