Landlord Breaks Into Tenant’s Office
When Chief John Abu of No. 25, Apapa-Oshodi Express Way, Apapa, in the morning of 2010, approached the landlord of the property on 10, Ibafon Street, Olodi Apapa, seeking to rent a room and parlour office from him, he had no premonition that his valuable equipment and cash running into thousands of naira would be stolen.
In a petition written to the Area Commander, Area B Command, Nigeria Police Station, Apapa, Lagos, through his counsel, Ben Imoukhuede, he averred that the said landlord, Mr. Kayode Hassan, sometime in 2010 rented out a room and parlour to him for N230,000.
He stated further that upon the completion of the transaction and payments, he took possession of the property and stock-piled the place with Hyster caterpillar spare parts worth N450,000.
He said that six months into his occupation of the rooms, the office was one day broken into and the equipment including the caterpillar spare parts were removed.
He said that upon enquiry, the landlord admitted that he indeed broke into the office because he wanted to renovate the entire building. He also admitted that he never sought the permission of his tenant.
Asked where the caterpillars spare parts and other properties he removed were kept, the landlord was said to have claimed that the place he shifted the spare parts into was also broken into by his younger brother, who then sold the items to an unknown person.
What is baffling to Chief John Abu is that on completion of the said renovation, his landlord rented the apartments to another person even when it is confirmed that his tenancy has not been terminated but still subsisting.
The promise made by the landlord to refund the N190,000 being the rate for the unexpired rent in addition to the N450,000 being the cost of the stolen Hyster caterpillar spare parts is now turning to a mirage and when asked to pay up the money, the man boasted that he is connected to the powers that be in the society and, therefore, Chief Abu will have to wait on end.
As at the time of filing in this report, the matter was being investigated by ASP Asamota of Area B Command while Mr.Kayode Hassan, landlord, and his younger brother were at large.
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