Detectives at the State Department of
Criminal Investigation, Yaba, are investigating a 60-year-old landlord,
Kareem Ajao, for allegedly killing his tenant, Chukwuyenre Eke.
It was learnt that the incident happened on Chief Kenneth Street, Ilogbo, in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos State.
Chukwuyenre, a businessman, and the landlord had been having a running
battle over payment of rent. The landlord was said to have asked the Imo State indigene to leave his single room apartment.
It was learnt that the victim, whose
rent expired in June 2015, was packing out from the house on December
14, 2015, when he had a confrontation with Ajao, who allegedly pushed
him.
The 42-year-old, who was said to have fallen and hit his head against the ground, died. The matter was reported at the Ilemba Hausa Police Division, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The matter was then transferred to the SDCI pending the conclusion of investigations and the release of autopsy report.
The victim’s wife, Chinanu, 23, lamented
that she was jobless, adding that the death of her husband had thrown
the burden of raising their three children on her shoulders.
She said, “We moved into the house three
years ago and rented a room for N1,500 per month. But every time our
rent expired, the landlord always made trouble with us before we renewed
our rent.
“Last year, he said he wanted us to
leave his house after our rent expired in June. My husband begged him to
collect the money, but he said no. He issued us a notice to quit. After
much begging, he agreed to give us some time to look for another
apartment.”
She said the intervening period was
filled with scuffles and on one occasion, the police were invited to
settle a quarrel between her and the landlady.
She said, “I told my husband to allow me
go to my brother’s house in November, pending when he will find another
house because of the frequent clashes. He also decided to stay with
friends until we find another house.
“On December 13, my husband called me
and said he had found another house. He said he would take a vehicle to
our former house to pack our loads. I later got a call that my husband
had been killed by the landlord.”
It was learnt that the victim had taken a
vehicle to the house to pack their property when the landlord came and
accused him of packing away without informing him.
They were said to have engaged in a scuffle during which the deceased died. Chinanu said she got to the house and met her husband in a pool of blood.
Policemen from the Ilemba Hausa Police Division were said to have arrived at the scene and arrested the landlord.
The first child of the family,
seven-year-old Favour, said his dad promised to buy them special caps
and biscuits for Christmas and New Year. “I don’t know what happened to my dad,” he said.
When our correspondent approached some
tenants in the house where the incident happened, they declined comment
and referred our correspondent to the landlady.
The landlady, who feigned ignorance,
said she was not related to the suspect, adding that no member of the
landlord’s family was around. However, dropped his phone number with her.
As our correspondent stepped out of the
house and entered a tricycle in which the victim’s wife and children
were, the landlady also stepped out of the house and saw Chinanu. Some minutes later, she called our
correspondent on the telephone with a hidden number and said, “Is it
that woman (Chinanu) that brought you here? She brought you here and
decided to dodge us. She is the cause of this trouble. She is the one
that killed her husband.
“She had two husbands in this house
before she left. When they got a notice to quit, she abandoned her
husband and followed the second man, who is the father of her last
child.
“It was the problem that aggravated the
man’s health and killed him. It is not true that the landlord pushed him
and killed him. I am just a tenant and decided to hint you on what
happened.”
The Deputy Police Public Relations
Officer, Aliyu Giwa, confirmed the incident, adding that the matter was
being investigated at the SCID.
“The landlord has been arrested and investigation is ongoing,” he said.
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