The war in Nigerian homes is no longer between landlords and tenants. It is between humans and rats. And right now, the rats are winning.
Across estates in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Awka, Oyo and Kano, residents say the same thing: rats have stopped running. They walk in daylight, climb kitchen shelves, eat on dining tables, and stare back when humans shout.
In Gwarimpa, Mr. Emeka came back from work at 7pm to meet 3 rats on his dining table. “One was eating plantain. The other two were just sitting there like visitors. When I shouted, nobody moved,” he told P.M.EXPRESS.
Pest experts call it “habituation”. A whole generation of city rats has grown up with humans. Generator noise, music, footsteps — none of it scares them again. To them, we are background noise.
The takeover is fast because the conditions are perfect. Open gutters, roadside food spots, refuse dumps close to houses, and power outages that leave kitchens dark for hours. It’s a 5-star hotel for rats.
One Mrs. Fatima in Ikorodu said she lost N85,000 worth of clothes last month. “They cut everything. School uniforms, Ankara, even my prayer mat. And in the morning I found them sleeping inside my wardrobe.”
It is not just food and clothes. Electricians report a spike in house fires and blackouts. Rats chew wires, PVC pipes, and even car engine cables parked outside. One estate in Lekki spent N2.3m last quarter to rewire 4 flats.
Health workers are raising alarms. Dr. Chinedu Okoro, a public health physician, said: “When rats lose fear of humans, bites and contamination increase. We’re seeing more cases of Lassa fever symptoms in urban areas where hygiene is poor.”
The irony? Many people stopped setting traps. Poison is expensive. Cats have disappeared from most apartments. And landlords rarely seal ceiling holes. So the rats moved in permanently.
Social media is full of the evidence. Videos show rats jumping on beds at 2pm, drinking from pet bowls, and dragging bread into holes while children watch. The comment sections are half jokes, half cries for help.
What can be done? Experts say 3 things: Block all entry points with cement and steel wool, keep food in airtight containers, and clear waste daily. “If there’s no food, water and shelter, they will relocate on their own,” says pest control operator, Tunde Bello.
For now, many Nigerians have accepted a new reality. The broom is no longer a weapon. It is decoration.
As Mr. Emeka put it: “Before, house belonged to human. Now we are just paying rent and the rats are the landlords”.