Osun Youths Give Adeleke 7-day Ultimatum To Address Housing Crisis, Exploitation By Landlords, Estate Agents

Some youths in Osun under the aegis of Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding urgent intervention in the worsening housing crisis and the widespread exploitation of residents by landlords and estate agents.

Speaking during a press briefing in Osogbo, yesterday, the Speaker of the Assembly, Comrade Fatomi Hammed, declared that if the state government fails to respond within the stipulated time frame, the youth would be compelled to stage what he described as the largest peaceful protest in the history of Osun.

Fatomi drew attention to the surge in complaints from citizens, particularly young people, about unjust inspection fees, extortionate advance payments, and the absence of accessible legal channels for redress.

“We are appealing to the Osun State Government and the Osun State House of Assembly to handle this matter with the urgency it demands,” Fatomi said. “If nothing is done within seven days, we will be left with no alternative but to mobilise for the largest peaceful protest ever organised by the youth in this state.”

He stressed that the Youth Assembly was speaking with unity of purpose: “We have one voice, one message, and one demand—to put an end to the rampant exploitation in the housing sector that continues to suffocate the people of Osun State.”

Fatomi described the current state of affairs as a full-blown crisis. “What we are seeing is not merely an inconvenience. It has gone beyond isolated personal battles and become a societal emergency,” he said.

He shared troubling accounts from young residents—students, job seekers, newly employed civil servants, newlyweds, and professionals—who have been victimised by corrupt practices in the housing sector.

“House agents are demanding outrageous inspection fees with no assurance of a viable property. Others take large advance payments or agency fees only to vanish or deny access to the promised property,” he said.

Fatomi also condemned the absence of legal recourse for victims, with many left stranded or forced into substandard living conditions. “It is now common practice for agents to deliberately inflate rent, sometimes doubling or tripling costs. These actions are not only unethical, they are criminal, and yet they continue unchecked, worsening the housing shortage.”

He noted that the Youth Assembly had exhausted all diplomatic avenues to prompt action from the authorities.

“Our Assembly, in its responsibility as the voice of the youth, has taken proactive steps. We have submitted formal appeals to both the Osun State Government and the State House of Assembly. We called for immediate measures to rein in the excesses of estate agents and landlords, establish a complaint and redress system for tenants, and uphold the right to fair and affordable housing,” he said.

The Youth Assembly insists that the time for action is now and called on the government to respond decisively before the end of the ultimatum.