MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 53-year old landlady, Adeola Olaitan Bankole, has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly removing the roof of her tenant, Jimoh Kingsley Oriafor, in order to illegally evict him.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that after she hired thugs to remove the roof in order to forcefully evict the tenant, there was a heavy rainfall, which damaged the tenant’s properties worth over N3m due to the open roof.
The incident happened on 11th May, 2024, at 22, Adaranigbagbo Street, Idera Estate, Amule Ayobu, Lagos, where the complainant, Jimon Kingsley Oriafor, rented an apartment.
The matter was reported to the Police at Area P Command in Alagbado, Lagos. The landlady, Mrs. Bankole, was arrested and detained at the Command for interrogation over her alleged conduct, which led to the destruction of the complainant properties.
During interrogation, the Police discovered that it was a willful act and a ploy to eject the tenant illegally without following due process of law.
The Police found her culpable and charged her before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
COUNT I: “That you, Adeola Olaitan Bankole ‘F’, On the 11 day of May, 2024 at No. 22, Adaranigbagbo Street, Idera Estate, Amule Ayobo Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully and maliciously remove the roof of the apartment of one Jimoh Kingsly Oriafor ‘M’ which caused his properties worth the sum of Three Million One Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira (N3,160,000.00K) to be damaged and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 339 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Adeola Olaitan Bankole ‘F’, On the same date and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by removing the roof of the apartment of one Jimon Kingsly Oriafor ‘M’ and thereby committed and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 168 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
However, she pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since she pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that she actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.K. Dosumu-Uthman, granted her bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 3rd June, 2025, for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when she will perfect her bail conditions.