Tenants Locked Up By Landlord For Missing Chicken

An Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos has remanded 56-year-old Olu Obajimi in prison for locking his tenants inside their apartment over his missing chicken.

Obajimi was arraigned on a two-count charge of conduct likely to cause breach of public peace and unlawfully locking out his tenants.

The landlord had alleged that his tenant, Chukwunonso Okafor and his family were responsible for his missing chicken and locked all of them inside their rooms from morning till evening, insisting they must produce the chicken or remain locked in.

They pleaded to no avail and later contacted their relation, who in turn contacted the police.

The incident happened at 55, Olubukunayo Obajimi Street, Egan, outskirts of Lagos, where both reside.

Narrating what happened, the tenant’s wife, Mrs Ngozi Okafor said they woke up and after their usual morning prayer, they discovered that their apartment was locked from outside by the landlord and they could not go out.

She said her husband, Chukwunonso asked the landlord what happened and the landlord told him that his chicken was missing and he was suspecting that one of them in his family stole it, and he would only release them if they provide the chicken.

She said after pleading and explaining that they had nothing to do with his chicken, he refused to listen to them and they contacted her sister who contacted the police at Igando division who rescued them.

She said there were five of them living in the apartment the landlord locked up including her husband and their last baby.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr P. E. Nwaka granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum, while he was asked to be remanded in prison custody pending when he will fulfil his bail conditions.

Mr Nwaka adjourned the matter till 25 May, 2013.