Italy-Based Nigerian Landlady Arrested Over Rent Increase

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

An Italy-based Nigerian landlady, Madam Nancy Ahahuwa has been arrested after she hired thugs to forcefully eject his tenant, Friday Bassey and members of his family for refusing to accept rent increment.
The incident happened at 35, Madam Nancy street, by Arida bus stop, Ikotun, Lagos where her one storey building is located.
Bassey, a father of three was thrown out of his three-bedroom apartment in the morning of Saturday 12 November when three armed thugs stormed the house and chased away everybody and thrown the properties outside.

Following the forceful ejection, the police at Idimu division arrested Madam Nancy and detained her at the station.
She was given an administrative bail and asked to return on Monday for court.
Narrating what happened, Bassey said he had lived in the house for five years without owing his Italy-based landlady any rent.
He said she had told him that when his rent expired on 31 October 2016, he will be paying a new rent of N400,000 instead of N250,000 he has been paying.

He said he refused the rent increase due to present economic situation in the country. She then instructed her lawyer to serve him six months notice which will elapsed on April 2017.

Bassey however said he was surprised when three hefty men banged at his door and threatening to kill everybody in the house if we didn’t leave the house.
He said he went and opened the door only to see the men with the landlady. They came in and ordered everybody out and started throwing the property outside said the man.
He said he did not stop them because they were armed and was ready to kill at that time, he said he only went to the police and reported what happened.

He said when police came there, most of the properties have been destroyed, while the landlady seized and converted his refrigerator, two plasma television to her own use. Those properties were recovered and taken to the station.
He said since then, he had been sleeping outside with members of his family including his new born baby.
When our correspondent contacted Nancy, she said she knew how she struggled in Italy to raise money to build the house and her tenant cannot dictate rent to her.
The 54-year old Nancy said she had given him notice to quit but refused to come and plead, thinking she cannot do anything.
She said she was ready to go to court and bluffed the police who ordered her to open the flat to Bassey. She said they have no such right because the house belong to  her.
When our correspondent visited the house, the properties were still outside and the residents who spoke to our correspondent expressed shock over what happened.
At the police station on Monday, the police source also confirmed the incident and said the DPO ordered the matter to be charged to court.
However, police source said she has refused to show up to the station and daring the police.