My Landlord, A Wanted Person —Tenant

Tenant, Chief Sikiru Kazeem has told the rent tribunal sitting in Ejigbo, Lagos State  that he stopped paying his house rent when his landlord, Baba Ekundayo, jumped bail when  he stood surety for him at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba,  Lagos.

The 67-year-old Kazeem told the court, presided over by Mrs. S. O. Solebo, that his  landlord committed a crime and was arrested by operatives of the SCID, adding that he  went to bail him and promised the police that he would not jump bail. But his landlord  proved him wrong as he ran away as soon as he was released.

Kazeem told the court that he was arrested for failure to produce him as promised. Since  then, he said his landlord has been on the run, adding that he paid a lot of money to  regain his freedom.

He said that he could not continue to pay his house rent since he jumped bail which  showed that he lacked good character.

The defendant said: “I did not see my landlord as he claimed. He did not serve me a quit  notice because since he jumped bail, he has gone into hiding to evade arrest and I have  not seen him.”

“He did not serve me quit notice because he has been in hiding and I also stopped paying  my houre rent because he has no good character by jumping bail at SCID, putting me his  surety into trouble,” he added.

Pa Kazeem said if he knew that Ekundayo would appear in the court, “I would have informed  the police to come and arrest him”.

The landlord, Baba Ekundayo has dragged Chief Kazeem his tenant at 12 Abanuda Street,  Isolo, Lagos to the rent tribunal to recover the apartment Pa Kazeem had occupied for  some years.

Ekundayo claimed that Kazeem has being owing him arrears of rent for two years and had  refused to pay him after several demands. He also claimed that Kazeem constituted a  nuisance in the house as he brings in all sorts of women.

The matter has been adjourned till 12 October, 2010 for continuation of hearing

—Cyriacus Izuekwe