18th May, 2011
A tenant who refused to pay his rent for more than three years and assaulted his landlady has been arrested and arraigned before the Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
His offence is punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code, 2003.
The accused, Ikechukwu Igboanugo, 30 who was living free-of-charge at a self-contained apartment at 6, Osunba Street, Igando, Lagos was alleged to have assaulted his landlady, Mrs. Wosilat Saka, when she asked him to pack out.
Igboanugo, a trader at the Alaba International Market, according to police report, told his landlady that as long as he lives in the house, he will not pay her a dime as rent because she failed to fulfill her promise to provide him a toilet in the house when he paid the initial rent.
The police alleged further that Igboanugo had attacked his landlady on several occasions to the extent that the woman no longer asked him for rents but wanted him to pack out of the house.
In her statement to the police, Saka said Igboanugo rented the apartment from her four years ago and when the money he paid expired, he warned her not to come to him for any money because he will not hesitate to deal with her.
She disclosed that when she went to him for payment, Igboanugo descended on her and beat her silly and warned her not to come again to ask for rent.
She said since then she was afraid of asking for her money and whenever he sees her, he would start threatening her. She said he now owed her three years arrears of rent and does not want to pack out from the house.
Igboanugo confirmed to the police that he was actually owing her and was not ready to pay her any money because she refused to provide a toilet she collected money when he rented the house from her.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe