Landlady allegedly sets tenant’s room ablaze to evict him

It was shock and disbelief that greeted residents of Ijegun community in Lagos State on Tuesday, when a landlady, Mrs. Nike Azeez, allegedly set ablaze her tenant’s apartment at No. 8, Two Brothers Street, in the bid to forcefully eject the tenant, Adeleke Shakiru, from her property.

It took the intervention of residents to quench the fire from spreading to other apartments and razing down the entire building, though the fire destroyed property inside the targeted tenant’s room.

According to residents, Azeez reportedly brought petrol and broke into Shakiru’s room and parlour apartment through the window. She allegedly spread the petrol on a mattress and lit matches to set the room ablaze.

However, a two-year old boy, Adam, who was sleeping inside the room was rescued but was badly injured, while all the property inside were destroyed by the fire.

After the bizarre act, the landlady with members of her family, fled from the house over fears of the tenants’ reaction.

According to the victim, Shakiru, he rented the apartment two years ago and was using a small generating set like every other tenant living in the building. He said one morning, the landlady’s husband, Jamiu Azeez, told him to stop using the generating set.

“I asked him why I should stop using my generating set. Suddenly, his wife intervened and said whatever the landlord directed must be complied with or I should be ready to move out of the house. I just ignored them and powered the generating set to charge my phones. Since that day, she started making trouble with me.

“Not too long after then, she used a digger to remove my doors and windows, which I reported to the police at Ishero Oshun division, but through the intervention of elders in the community, I was advised to withdraw the matter and replaced what was damaged,” he said.

Recounting what happened, Shakiru’s wife, Bose, said immediately her husband went to work, the landlady came out and was dragging her son, insisting that she would throw him into the well.

“It was the forceful intervention of neighbours that prevented her from doing so. While we were still outside discussing the incident with other neighbours, the landlady went into our apartment, carried some petrol and went through the back window to burn the house. It was one of the neighbours in the building that raised the alarm. I had to quickly rush inside the room to carry my son.”