Some residents of Abakaliki have appealed to the state government to intervene regarding the sudden spike in house rents in the capital town.

The people made the appeal in separate interviews in Abakiliki on Wednesday.

They decried the activities of house agents, who have allegedly hijacked the process of securing accommodation in the town.

A civil servant, Chukwunonso Ukele, said it was unfair for house rent to be higher than a tenant’s annual income.

He described the situation as unfortunate and unreasonable, pointing out that the development was getting worse every day.

“This is not what I experienced when I came to Abakaliki five years ago. Some residents say the situation is caused by the nation’s economy and more by the influx of internet fraudsters, otherwise called “Yahoo Boys” into the state.

“These individuals make money secretly, sometimes through rituals. If you observe, they hardly bargain, no matter how much the rent is,” Mr Ukele said.

Another civil servant, Dennis Oyibe, spoke on the need for relevant authorities to check the activities of house agents in the state.

“Most of the agents are dubious and inflate rents beyond what property owners placed on their property.

“It is painful. We are beginning to witness urban-rural migration, although no place is easy in present-day Nigeria,” he said.

Another resident, Rita Nwali said the situation had become a major economic concern, pointing out that the trend became worse with the current economic challenges.

According to Ms Nwali, the trend is largely driven by inflation.

“The high cost of building materials is a factor, but many of these houses were built 10 to 20 years ago,” she said.

She urged the government and relevant agencies to address the situation in order to reduce the financial burden on residents.

The House of Assembly in 2025 announced that house and land agents should cease to operate in the state, with effect from January 1.

However, the pronouncements had yet to be matched with action, hence leaving tenants at the mercy of agents.

 (NAN)