•Land Merchant, High Chief ADEFOWOPE ORIOYE
High Chief Adefowope Kayode Orioye is a popular land merchant who is also, a developer. He is the MD of Adefowope Group of Companies. He is not really your conventional developer. He does much more than just acquire and develop land. High Chief Adefowope is the total package when it comes to the business of land trading. He buys land, he sells, he also develops and builds houses/estates but that’s not where it stops for him. This gentle looking High Chief also engages Omo Onile on behalf of developers and helps them retrieve lands that have been taken from them by Omo Onile who probably sold same land to two or more people. And he has been doing this for several years and recording astonishing success. He knows all the major Omo Onile in Lagos. He knows all the traditional rulers and heads of the major prominent families in Lagos who control some of the lands scattered across the state. This is why many of the top developers in Lagos and even those who buy land for personal use all run to him when they are faced with the problem of the ubiquitous Omo Onile and he has never failed to secure their properties for them, no matter how desperate the Omo Onile are to hold onto the property.
Two weeks ago at the recently held City People Real Estate Awards, High Chief Adefowope was honoured for his remarkable contribution to the Real Estate business. Shortly after he picked up the award, he spoke to City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) and explained how he has been engaging Omo Onile in Lagos for several years running on behalf of developers and other clients and making tremendous success of the venture. Here are excerpts.
Congratulations on the award you just received, High Chief, tell us a bit about your back ground, I’m sure a lot of people were wondering when your citation was read, where is he from? How come he can confront Omo Oniles anywhere in Lagos, sit them down and sort out issues? How did all of these start for you?
Well, first and foremost, I’m High Chief Ambassador Adefowope Kayode Orioye, the MD, Adefowope Group of companies. For me, I am an indigene of Lagos so that gives me a big edge and I have been in the real estate business nw for over 20 years. My dad brought me into the property business. I remember he told me that the first big money I make in life should be invested in property, not partying, not clubbing. He said even before I get married, I must get involved in property. Now, how I have been able to mediate between Omo Onile and developers is that I dig into the history of the land, and because I am always on ground, I know the families that own most of the land in Lagos. A family, for instance, can sell land to two to three persons, so I know exactly who to hold and speak to there. And like I always tell developers, you don’t just go into a place and buy land from one person, speak to the people around, ask questions, who owns this place/ Don’t just buy land from Alausa, anything can happen. So, this has really helped me, coupled with my relationship with a lot of government officials that work in Lagos State government agencies that are involved in land related matters. They helped me do background check on properties. I help developers get land that I have done my investigation on and tell them it’s okay to go ahead and pay for it. I have helped companies like Revolutionplus to acquire land. I have helped others like Zilux, Whitegate, PWAN, and many others.
Where did you grow up in Lagos?
I grew up in Eti-Osa. But I also spent few of my years in Apapa but basically Maroko, Eti-Osa, that’s where I spent most of my growing up years. At some point I spent 5 years in Jos, then another two or three years in Ibadan, the rest of my years have been spent in Lagos. So, I know Lagos inside out. That makes it easier. I can go to any palace, I go ask for any document, I can do checks from the government and find out facts about a property. I know the tricks of Omo Onile and when they sell land to two or three people, I know what to do to solve the problem. Like Lekki Court, I told the owners, before I pay, let me move into site. I told the people, I have not acquired your land, I just want to help you clear it. I know that by the time I move in, if there are issues on the land, somebody will surely come to challenge me. So, when you’re buying land, do not stay in the background, come out, let the people know the land is about to be purchased. Don’t mind what it will cost you to clear parts of the land. Also, for your own sake, don’t just ask somebody to go and check the land to see if it’s okay, let the government write you officially on the status of the land. You also need to check whether its free from government encumberance or it belongs to a family or not.
What sort of challenges have you had to contend with, especially when you have to deal with some Omo Oniles who can be very violent with criminal tendencies? How have you been able to deal with them?
Well, first, these people know me, I will not give up. I will force you to come to terms because I know where to hold you. I know where your house, I know where you live. You can do all sorts witjh somebody that does not know you, but I know you. I know your father, I know your mother, I will come and fish you out from wherever you’re hiding. In a case where they sell a land that does not belong to them to somebody, I will use both the government and the police and also use my influence to dig out the culprits. If you run, I will arrest every member of your family.
You will agree with me that this is a very dangerous terrain, its something that could bring you into danger. One look at you, one would see you as a gentleman and all that, yet, you need a bit of courage and street smartness to do what you’re doing..
Oh, yes, I agree with you that one must have courage. I do have the courage, moreso when I know I’m speaking the truth and I have my facts. I will not bulge, I will defend my case to the very end. If you come to me for help and you listen to what I say, I will stand by you and we will get the land. But if you go against my instructions, whatever happens, you’re on your own. But if you follow my advice, you will definitely get the land, not even your money.
So, you have never been really scared to a point where you start cautioning yourself that, it’s like these people are more dangerous than you thought?
I’ve dealt with two like that. In fact, they had to mobilize about a hundred armed men, thugs, including the police, to come to my gate because of land. I said to the guy, you can’t be destroying lives, trading property that does not belong to you just because you’re an indigene. It was a threat to life situation. And I also told him you will not see December and we went confrontational until Kabiyesi said, look, both of you are my sons and I said to Kabiyesi, talk to your son! There was also another notorious guy in Eti-Osa, we went face to face. I told him you can’t do me northing, either physically or spiritually, you will meet your match in me. Whenever I go into these cases, I make sure I am not at fault. And another thing is that, I make sure I uphold the Law so I will use the law to chase after you.
So, you don’t use thugs sometimes to confront them?
No, oh, thugs, ke? When I know where the law stands against thuggery. And I know it’s either you come physically, in which I will use the law, and if you come spiritually, I will be waiting for you as well.
But doesn’t madam, your wife, I mean, get scared sometimes that things could get out of hand?
Oh, yes, she does sometimes. But she also supports me spiritually so when she gets frightened, I tell her that, don’t worry, nothing go happen . But there was a case that involved the Ooni of Ife, the guy drove down to my house and blocked the gate and my wife was like, please, leave the case and I said, nothing will happen, she should relax. I remember a case where I was up against a community and they started doing their voodoo. All I did was pray and they just started dying one after the other, which was what they wanted to happen to me. I believe in the truth and the truth is that there is one God, and He is the God of justice. If they bring up a petition against you, don’t stay quiet. If they say evil words against you, don’t stay silent, return it back to the person and be prayerful. It’s not juju, it’s not jazz, just be bold. Even in the bible, God told Joshua, be bold, be courageous. And that’s all you need. Know your right, know the Law.
Finally, sir, your Real estate firm, how old is it and what brought about the idea to set it up?
Okay, if it’s the real estate business, I have involved in it for over 20 years now, acquiring land for people and stuff. But as a registered developer, lets say just about two years. We started between 2019 and 2020. But I have other companies that I have been using to trade land and do other related businesses. But, fully as a developer, it’s just been two years.
And how has the experience been so far?
Well, one person that has really encouraged and supported me is the MD of Revolutionplus Property company, Mr. Bamidele Onalaja and the MD of White Gate. They told me, you can do it, you have been helping us, let us also put you through. There were about four of them that helped me and encouraged me, Revolutionplus, White Gate, PWAN and Zilux. In terms of developing, because they have been there for long, so they were able to put me through a lot of the rudiments of the business.
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