MICHAEL AKINOLA
Police operatives from the Lagos State Command have started manhunt for a landlord, Prince Adeola Atinuke, for allegedly hiring thugs, breaking into his tenant’s shop and throwing out his property over rent.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Atunike Plaza located at Church Bus Stop at Ago Okota area of Lagos, where the tenant identified as Ken rented a shop.
All the properties, which the landlord threw outside, worth millions of Naira were said to have been destroyed following a heavy rainfall. The matter was reported to the Police and the landlord, Prince Adeola was said to have gone into hiding in order to escape arrest and prosecution.
Tenants, who told P.M.EXPRESS reporter what happened, stated that the tenant’s rent expired and he was unable to pay. He was said to have pleaded with the landlord to give him sometime to pay the rent.
However, the landlord refused and gave him some days or he will throw his properties out and rent the shop to another person. He was said to have boasted that he had no time to waste by going to Court in order to eject him legally.
True to his threat, Prince Adeola reportedly went and hired thugs, beat the tenant mercilessly before he threw out his properties outside and locked the shop.
When our reporter went to the plaza, the properties were seen outside soaked with water due to the heavy rainfall.
When the reporter went to the landlord’s office, he was not around but one of his workers seen there said that he was not around and declined to provide his phone number to contact him over the matter.
However, other tenants who spoke to PMEXPRESS, narrated what happened and described the whole thing as very unfortunate. They said that the victim had stayed in the shop for several years but at this point was unable to meet up with his rent and the landlord hired thugs and threw his properties out without a Court order.
“When he brought thugs to eject the victim, one of the tenants in the plaza volunteered to pay the rent but he refused and threw everything outside and locked up the shop” a tenant stated.
According to the tenants, it was not the first time his tenant will suffer similar fate because Prince Adeola does not have time to go to Court. And once he has any issue with any tenant, he will go to Cele Bus Stop, hire thugs and throw such tenant’s properties out after beating the person.