Landlady Ejects Tenant By Forcibly Removing His Roof Over Rent

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A 52-year old landlady has been charged before a Lagos court sitting in Ejigbo for allegedly removing her tenant’s roof in order to eject him.

The tenant, Joseph Idimeh and members of his family have been rendered homeless after their landlady reportedly removed the roof to his apartment in order to eject them from the apartment.

The incident happened at 50 Olabisi Olayetan street Egan, Igando in the outskirt of Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that while the roof was removed, there was a heavy rainfall which got all their property damaged.

The landlady, Alhaja Ajalatu Oye was  arrested and detained at Igando Police Division for allegedly taken law into her hands by illegally ejecting the  victim.

However, she was released after the police said the property damaged was not up to N5 million as claimed by the victim.

P.M. EXPRESS gathered that the tenant was owing arrears of rent and he was asked to park out but unfortunately he had no money to rent another place before the incident happened.

It was gathered that the landlady said she did not have time to waste by going to court to eject him legally and so she decided on self help.

Lamenting, the victim, Idimeh, stated thus “Alhaja Ajalatu had waited until we left for work before she hired a carpenter that came, broke into our apartment, removed all the roofing sheets and ceiling boards under the heavy rainfall on Friday which lasted till Sunday.”

The 52-year old Idimeh, who said he had been a tenant since 2012 noted that the family were shocked and traumatised when they came back at night, only to discover all their household properties from the television, gas cooker, stove, bed, foam, clothings, shoes, decoder, sound system, foodstuffs, cooked foods, generator and important documents have been destroyed by the rain.

Lamenting further, Idimeh said that “I and my five children are stranded now despite that Alhaja Ajalatu inherited the apartment from my good late landlord who died in 2014.”

He continued, “This is not the first time this woman would be harassing me. I was arrested in December by Inspector Balogun and Inspector Otega in March just because I interacted with other tenants which the landlady detests.

“Honestly since 2012 that I parked into that compound, I have not had any issue with other tenants,” he said.

He however accused some police officers from Igando division of compromising by aiding and abetting Ajalatu after allegedly collecting bribe, thereby denying him justice.

When our correspondent visited the scene, Ajalatu declined comment.

However in a chat with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Adedeji Adeniyi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), he said he had been in a meeting since morning but directed the Investigating Police Officer ( IPO) who identified herself as Evelyn to comment.

According to Evelyn, the suspect has been released as property damaged by the rain was not worth N5 million as claimed by the victim.

When the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Famous- Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was contacted, he promised to look into the report.

However, when the suspect was brought to court and arraigned for the alleged offence, she pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr Akeem Fashola granted her bail in the sum N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.