New revelations have surfaced as three additional fashion brands have come forward accusing Al-Ameen Babatunde, the organizer of the Lagos Fashion Festival, of defrauding them of a total of N420,000. This payment was made for participation in a fashion event that never took place.
LatejCreations, Adoness Design, and Clothmate, shared their grievances in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Thursday. They expressed frustration over their unsuccessful attempts to secure refunds for the registration fees paid to Babatunde.
PUNCH Metro previously reported on the dispute between Babatunde and two other fashion brands, Ronid Ventures and Mandystitchez, over a payment of N240,000 for a fashion event that was ultimately canceled.
The brands recounted that Babatunde had organized the Lagos Fashion Fair, for which they registered. However, the situation turned sour when they were notified of multiple postponements of the event, eventually leading to its cancellation.
In light of the continuous delays, the brands demanded refunds, which Babatunde refused, opting instead to threaten them with legal action.
While Ronid Ventures paid N165,000 and Mandystitchez paid N135,000 for registration, Ronid Ventures did receive a partial refund of N60,000.
CEO of Clothmate, identified as Bukola, disclosed that despite paying N100,000 in November 2023, her registration fee had not been refunded due to the event postponements.
Bukola mentioned, “I decided to withdraw when the event was rescheduled. I requested a refund but have not received it. Babatunde’s behavior has been aggressive and disrespectful, making him seem desperate.”
Similarly, Bidemi Odunsi from Adoness expressed dismay over Babatunde’s failure to refund the designers she had brought into the show.
The ordeal of seeking a refund from Babatunde had taken a toll on LatejCreations’ health.
Babatunde claimed that LatejCreations did not make any payments to him and would not be refunded, while assuring that the other brands would receive their refunds.