A landlord in Abuja, Francis Awoyera, illegally cut off the water supply of his tenant, Adeyemi Bankole, in an attempt to force him out of the house.…….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The dispute started over rent renewal. The landlord demanded ₦1,000,000 for rent, but the tenant offered ₦750,000 instead (because he had already paid ₦250,000 of previous electricity bills left by a former tenant).
When the tenant refused to meet the landlord’s demanded amount, the landlord cut off his water for about a month.
Legal / Rights Violation
The landlord issued a quit notice for seven days, demanding the tenant vacate. This is in contravention of the Recovery of Premises Act 1945, which governs tenancy matters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria.
Cutting off essential services (like water) as a coercive measure is generally regarded as illegal and unethical in tenancy disputes. In this case, the landlord admitted wrongdoing as part of a settlement.
What Followed
After pressure and media/investigative attention (through FIJ – Foundation for Investigative Journalism), Francis Awoyera refunded ₦416,205.89 of the rent to Bankole.
The two parties signed a termination agreement. In that agreement, Awoyera admitted to having cut off the water supply.…….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
