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Lagos landlord, tenant bicker over ejection

By Mercy Jerry
17 July 2018   |   4:17 am
A resident of No. 1 Santos Avenue, Abule-Egba, Mrs. Esther Demola, has accused her landlord, one Mr. Adekunle Santos, of harassment, victimisation...

PHOTO: Architecture Lab

A resident of No. 1 Santos Avenue, Abule-Egba, Mrs. Esther Demola, has accused her landlord, one Mr. Adekunle Santos, of harassment, victimisation and forcible ejection. She made this known to The Guardian after instituting a case against Santos at Area G police station, Ogba and Zone 2 police command, Onikan.

She said: “My landlord harassed and victimised me at my shop severally until he finally came in the afternoon of May 23, 2018 and uprooted the door in my absence. The shop was left open and goods worth N994,850 were stolen, which included expensive and high quality weaves, weave-on, wigs and all sorts of hair accessories.”

She noted that the landlord gave her no quit notice but rather, “kept coming to my shop with thugs to threaten and harass me.”

Santos initially refused to comment, referring The Guardian to the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case. He however admitted: “Yes, I have done wrong. So, charge me for doing wrong.” He argued that Esther is capitalising on his error to make a fortune for herself, alleging that she is a liar. “The shop wasn’t locked when I removed the door.”

The IPO in charge of the case, sergeant Taiwo Abass of Zone 2, said the issue was before the AIG of Zone 2 command and investigations were ongoing, adding that they had met with the parties involved and statements have been recorded accordingly.

Esther is reportedly a yearly tenant and there are tenancy laws in operation within the state. According to the Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja, Ubani M. Onyekachi: “Mr. Santos had no right to have vandalised the shop, because there are processes involved in recovering his property. It is a criminal offence and an action should be instituted in court immediately.

“A yearly tenant is entitled to six months notice. If he/she doesn’t vacate the premises, a seven-day notice tagged Owners Intention to Recover Premises is issued, after which if the tenant proves stubborn, a court order will be issued and men asked by the court to accompany the landlord will effect the ejection”.

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