Court Orders Nwobodo’s Eviction from Maitama Home

Tobi Soniyi For refusing to pay his rent and deliver vacant possession at the expiration of his tenancy, an Abuja High Court has ordered a former Anambra State Governor, Senator Jim Nwobodo, to vacate a mansion he is living in highbrow Maitama District in Abuja and relinquish the property to the owner, Adin-Miles International Limited.

The property in question is a six bedrooms mansion with one bedroom guest chalet and two-room boys quarters situated at 24 Ona Crescent, Plot 768 Cadastral Zone A5, Maitama, Abuja.

Justice S.B. Belgore, in a judgment he delivered on March 3, 2015 a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY yesterday, also ordered Nwobodo to pay N11 million as arrears of the rent on the premises from June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2011.

In the course of the trial, the court found as a fact that the plaintiff company sometime in 2008 bought the property from one Alhaji Al-Mustapha Abubakar who had earlier leased the property to Nwobodo.

During the trial, Nwobodo counter claimed that while the property was on offer for sale, he expressed intention to purchase it but did not make any payment because the plaintiff induced his landlord to sell the property to it and consequently, the landlord sold the house to the plaintiff.

However in deciding the case, the trial judge held: “I have searched the exhibits placed before this court and evidence adduced to support the counter-claim of the defendant. However, I have found none. Exhibit B has explained the circumstance under which the defendant/ counter-claimant failed to abide by the terms of the understanding that existed between him and the former landlord. The exhibit is not challenged with another evidence.”

In the circumstance, the judge agreed with the submissions of the plaintiff’s counsel.

”I have no hesitation therefore in granting all the reliefs of the plaintiff/ defendant and dismissing the counter-claim of the defendant,” the judge held.

When Nwobodo refused to pay his rent, the landlord hired Mr. Obinna Ajoku, a lawyer to evict him. When all overtures to Nwobodo failed, Ajoku filed a case against him at the Abuja High Court.

Adin Miles claimed four reliefs against Nwobodo: first, he should deliver vacant possession, secondly to pay the sum of N11 million as rent arrears, thirdly to pay the profit at the rate of N458, 333 only per month from June 1, 2011 until judgment was delivered and an order for Nwobodo to renovate the premises or pay N3 million only to enable the plaintiff to renovate the premises.