Tenant drags landlady to police over threat to life

A Lagos-based tenant, Mr. Bolaji Akinola, has dragged his landlady, Mrs Folashade Abiodun, before the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, over an alleged threat to his life.

Akinola, a media practitioner, alleged that his landlady of about three years had at various occasions threatened to deal with him for failing to pay his rent though the one he already paid has, he claimed, hasn’t expired.

Consequent upon a petition which was written by Akinola, the Lagos State police has ordered detectives from the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Yaba, Lagos, to look into the case of threat to life against Mrs Abiodun.

In the petition, Akinola stated that he rented a three- bedroom flat at the Royal Estate, Surulere, Lagos, from the landlady through her estate agent, Mr Adefisayo, for an initial of two years, from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2016. The rent was further renewed from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017.

According to him, on July 17, 2017 and prior to the expiration of the above mentioned tenancy, his landlady sent a message requesting that he should make an advance payment.

He stated he replied that he had no money at the time but assured her that he would pay it by the expiration of the current tenancy.

On Thursday August 31, 2017, he went on, he requested from the landlady via a text message information on the account into which she wanted him to pay the rent.

Akinola stated in his petition, “To my utmost surprise and chagrin, the landlady sent a response by a text message, insulting and threatening my life. She also requested that I leave the property in less than a month, contrary to the Tenancy Law of Lagos State. In addition, she has threatened a showdown with me if I fail to leave the property on the date she ordered.”

He said that he had to officially write the Lagos police boss in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order and possible loss of lives.