The residents of number 9 Chief Olubode Street in Mosan-Okunola LCDA were thrown into a state of shock on Tuesday when their landlord identified as Chief Ekpeyong Fuller came with thugs to evict them from their place of abode for over five years.
An eye witness account said the two storey building has been left abandoned for years after its purchase by Chief Fuller, the neglect which turned it into a hideout for men of shady businesses living as tenants through the landlord’s proxy identified as Mr Paul, their nature of businesses constantly attracted the presence of the police to the siren community and forced them to quit.
In 2014 a pastor identified as Apostle Michael rented a flat on the first floor through Paul which he pays about N250,000 as rent till date while others tenants rented the ground floor and we’re paying varying rent depending on power of negotiation. Mr Paul was said to be collecting rents from the tenants based on a gentleman’s agreement as no receipt nor agreement was issued or entered into until he fell out with the landlord in 2016 on account lack of trust.
Since the fall out with Mr Paul it is said that Chief Fuller has been in charge of collecting the rent in same manners as Paul, as he insist on collecting cash from all his tenants and had to increase some of the tenants rent which according to the witness the tenants have continued paying him even paying the tenement rate and the maintenance of the building in making the abandoned house habitable. One of the tenants identified as Chris is also confirmed to be a member of task force of Chief Olubode CDA.
On the fateful day it was said that the landlord came to the house with police and invited the tenants to Idimu police station alleging that they broke into the house and occupied it which is as a result of the tenants insistence on him issuing them with receipts of payments as they have started suspecting him of a foul play, while some of them were at the police station he had arranged thugs from Munshi that invaded the house and forcefully evicted the tenants.
The tenants were later detained by the police and later released on bail through a lawyer and were asked to report at the station on Wednesday which they did with their lawyer who took them to the Area Command where it was resolved that they should go back to the house since the eviction was not ordered by court of competent jurisdiction. Later that night, in another twist, the landlord came back at about 1am Thursday morning with police men and trucks with the motive of arresting them alleging that he received a call that his house was on fire,
but they (tenants) were quick to escape. The men of the police left a note inviting them to the station today (Thursday).
The police has ordered that status quo be maintained until a meeting scheduled for Saturday morning is held to ascertain the true picture of the matter.
Efforts to reach Chief Fuller proved abortive as his line was switched off while reply to short messages to his line was still expected at the time of filling this story.
