Landlord Strips Female Tenant Naked - Threatens Others With Charms For Refusing To Quit Apartment

By Doyin Adebusuyi

The landlord, Alhaji Ibrahim Salami (right)
with Mr Kehinde Adekola, from the
Oluwakemi Ayodele and Co Chambers in
a hot argument.

TWO tenants at No 11, Oloyede Oroja Street, Meran, Lagos, have raised an alarm over alleged threat to their lives and those of their families by their landlord, Alhaji Ibrahim Salami.

One of the tenants, Mr. Olukayode Ogunnaike, while narrating his ordeal to the Saturday Tribune, recalled that his problem with his landlord started on March 18, 2008 at about 7.40am when his landlord arbitrarily ordered the use of the generating set in his apartment stopped.

“But I resisted this vehemently since I had been using it for five years without disturbing anybody in the premises,” Ogunnaike added.

He said upon his refusal to toe his landlord’s directive, the landlord allegedly told him verbally to vacate the apartment and since then he had been using verbal and physical attacks on him and members of his family.

In addition, he said the landlord also used fake soldiers around 11 pm on April 22 to threaten him and his family.

According to investigation, the landlord had on March1, without a notice and any clear reason, informed all the tenants at a meeting to quit.

Mrs. Funmi Ogunfodunrin, the second tenant, said on the fateful day, the landlord allegedly disconnected the light to her apartment in an attempt to force her out of the premises.

“But on this particular day, the landlord brought a man who introduced himself as a soldier and Tunji by name. He came with two other people with a threat, ready to battle them.

“In the process of discussing with the soldiers, the landlord, his wife, and one of his children, Latifat Olubukola Salami, held me by my wrapper and slapped me and with his parents they stripped me naked and beat me mercilessly leaving my baby on the ground to cry endlessly. I am still feeling pains now,” Ogunfodunrin added.

Investigations by the Saturday Tribune revealed that the incident was reported to Chief Ashade, Baale of Baba Egbe Community and the DPO, Meran Police Station, Mr. Fesus Otabor.

But when not satisfied, the case was also reported at the Area ‘G’ Police Command, Ogba.

When Saturday Tribune visited the station, a police officer confirmed that the incident was investigated but that the two parties were advised to settle amicably. The baale also confirmed that the incident was reported to him.

“I called all the parties involved in the incident and pleaded with them to go and settle the matter. The tenants promised that they would move out and I advised the landlord to exercise patience with them.”

The landlord said he had no comment when the Saturday Tribune visited him at his residence on Thursday for his comment.

When advised to state his own side of the story, the Chairman, Community Development Association, Oloyede Oloja, simply called Mr. Akano, said to be a staff of Ministry of Environment, Lagos State, advised him not to say anything, adding, “Let the journalist go and write whatever he likes.”

He also threatened to organise hoodlums to “deal with the journalist.” Meanwhile, the two tenants are now appealing to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command and police authorities in the area to call the landlord to order.