12th September, 2013
An angry tenant, Jessy John, has allegedly rendered a 60-year old caretaker, Levi Ogbuo, partially blind over the demand for payment of three-month arrears of his house rent in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.
It was alleged that John, who rented one room apartment at 6, Opeloyeru Street, Egbe-Ikotun, Lagos, beat up Ogbuo, the caretaker in charge of the house, and hit one of his eyes with a wooden stool when he was asked to pay up his house rent.
The caretaker was rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, Lagos where it was confirmed that his eye was badly damaged and he cannot see with it again.
The remorseful John told P.M.NEWS that he did it out of anger because the caretaker has been disturbing him over the rent and did not allow him to go to work on the day the incident happened.
John, who is from Enugu State, admitted that he owed three-month house rent because he had no money.
He explained that he was supposed to pay N60,000 for six months, but since his house rent expired three months ago, he has not been able to pay .
John complained that ever since he owed the rent, the caretaker had not given him peace, saying that Ogbuo had always come to shout in front of his door and disgraced him.
He said he pleaded with him to be patient with him and sometimes he had to sneak in and out of the house so that the caretaker would not know that he was around.
“I was not happy that I owed the rent. But the trutth is I have no money,” he lamented.
Some of John’s neighbours also confirmed that he has not paid his rent and was always avoiding the caretaker, adding that it was the day the caretaker eventually met him in his room that John injured him.
After the incident, he was arrested and charged before Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court on a three-count charge of assault occasioning harm and causing permanent disability to the victim.
He pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr P. E. Nwaka, granted John bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The matter was adjourned till 9 December.
John was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe