18th November, 2010
For refusing to quit his four-bedroom apartment in Egbeda, Lagos, South West Nigeria, after refusing to pay his rent increment, a tenant has been battered by his estate agent.
The tenant, Enoh Tony, who resides at 6, Gbenle Street, Egbeda, Lagos was battered in his right eye allegedly with an iron rod.
The matter was reported to the police at Idimu and the suspect, Joseph Sodipe, was arrested and charged before the Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos for assault.
The magistrate ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody when he could not meet the conditions attached to his bail.
The matter has been adjourned till 29 November for trial.
Narrating how he was attacked, the tenant who disclosed that he had been living in the apartment for the past three years accused his landlord of incessant increase in rent.
“I have been staying in the four bedroom flat for the past three years. The accused is an in-law to the owner of the house who has travelled abroad. When I moved in, I was paying N180,000. Later, the rent was increased to N200,000 and increased to N250,000 this year. I told the landlord that I will not be able to pay the new increase and he gave me a quit notice.
“On the day of the incident, I accompanied my mother-in-law who was going to Mile 2 to the bus stop around 5.45 a.m and the accused came out and attacked me without doing anything. My mother-in-law tried to stop him but he hit me in my eyes with an iron.
“Before we got to the police station, he had gone to Idimu station to lie against us but the policemen were shocked when they saw my eyes,†he stated.
—Oluwole Adeboye
