MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 66-year old landlord, Erastus Thorpe, has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly removing the roof of his tenant’s apartment and invoking heavy rain with spiritual powers, which destroyed the tenant’s properties over quit notice.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the landlord, Thorpe, has been arrested and charged for malicious damage and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace over his alleged conduct against the tenant, Abdulwahab Adesina.
The incident happened on 28th October, 2025, at Major Akinola Street, Agbelekale area of Ipaja, Lagos.
The landlord and the affected tenant were said to have had a disagreement over rent payment and in the process, the landlord asked the tenant to pack out of the house. But the tenant insisted that if the landlord wanted him to pack out, he should properly serve him a notice to that effect.
The landlord was said to have threatened to force him to pack out without going to Court. He perfected the plan, removed the tenant’s roof, rain fell and damaged the complainant’s properties worth over N1.5m.
The matter was reported to the Police at Area P Command, Ipaja. The Police operatives moved into action, eventually arrested and detained the landlord at the Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
After thorough interrogation, the Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Erastus Thorpe ‘m’ on the 28th October, 2025 at about 1230pm at No. 29, Major Akinola Street, Agbelekale, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial district, did criminally damage the properties of one Abdulwahab Adesina ‘m’ valued about [N1,500,000.00] one million five hundred thousand Naira only, by removing his room’s roof, which made rain to destroy all his belongings and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 339 of criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II:-” That you, Erastus Thorpe ‘m’ on same date, time 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 Abdulwahab Adesina and allowing rain to spoil all his properties value about one million five hundred thousand Naira only and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 168[d] of criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Supol Josephine Ihkayere, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, granted him bail with two sureties, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.