4th August, 2010
The landlady of house number 19 on Obalodu Street, Ijeshatedo, Surulere in Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria, has allegedly ejected her tenants over untidy environment.
Lagos Bulletin gathered that what led to the development began in December last year, when the landlady began to employ various means, including officials of the Ministry of the Environment, to eject the tenants.
She was alleged to have reported the tenants at the Onilegogoro office of the ministry and its officials later visited the house to seal it up, while a month’s quit notice was issued to the occupants.
According to investigation, the occupants of the house felt spited and decided they would not vacate the building, saying that the Ministry of the Environment did not have the right to force them out of the building.
The case, however, took another dimension a fortnight ago, when some officials of the ministry allegedly stormed the house and forcefully ejected its occupants, arrested six of them and took them to Ikoyi Prison without recourse to the police.
Efforts were made by the residents, especially wives of the arrested men by contracting a lawyer, who later made a formal complaint at the Ijeshatedo Police Station.
One of the occupants, whose husband was taken to Ikoyi Prison alleged that the landlady connived with a man who claims to work in the ministry and arranged the seal up and arrest of the occupants of the building.
“As I speak to you now, my husband and others are in Ikoyi Prison for just no reason,†she told Lagos Bulletin.
Continuing, she said “the arrest and seal up was arranged and I doubt the authenticity of the officials. The landlady is just bent on ejecting us unlawfully and illegally, because she did not serve us any quit notice, instead, she employed the services of fake government officials from the Ministry of the Environment to forcefully eject us.â€
Wives of the arrested persons are now appealing to the ministry to release their husbands, while promising to vacate the building as soon as their husbands regain freedom.
When Lagos Bulletin visited the Ijeshatedo Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer in charge, Mr. Haruna Yahaya, confirmed the incident but declined to comment on it, saying it is a civil matter that is already in court.
Also, the landlady could not be located as at the time of filing this report.