A tenant at a residence on Ayantuga Street, Mushin, Lagos State, Kolawole Lawal, has run into trouble after he allegedly rented out an apartment within the house without the landlady’s consent.
OUR correspondent learnt that the two-room apartment had been vacant until sometime in November 2018 when Lawal let it out to Bakare Abiodun for N280,000, including a N100,000 commission.
It was gathered that the landlady, Mrs Deborah Atanda, who does not live in the building, had gone on a visit to the residence when she discovered that the apartment had been occupied.
Our correspondent learnt that when Atanda, an octogenarian, approached Lawal, he owned up to have collected the rent and promised to remit it into her account.
He, however, reneged on his promise, prompting Atanda to report a fraud case against him at the Olosan Police Station.
The complainant, who resides with her relations in Agbado, Ogun State, told the police that she had been living on the rent since her son died about three years ago.
She said, “Lawal has been living in my house for years. There was a vacant room-and-parlour apartment. Surprisingly, Lawal rented it out to one Bakare Abiodun without my due consent. He collected N280,0000 as rent since November 2018 and he did not pay the money into my account.
“I got to know that Lawal rented out the apartment when I visited the house on April 6, 2019. The man that rented the apartment said Lawal gave him a handwritten note showing that he (Lawal) collected the rent. I depend on the rent I collect from my tenants.”
Lawal, 43, admitted to have collected the rent in his statement to the police but said the landlady authorised him to do so.
The native of Ogun State explained that he used the money to repair his car and settled the hospital bill of his wife who was delivered of a baby through a caesarian section.
He said, “I have been living in the house for seven years now. Mrs Atanda is my landlord’s mother. When my landlord died in 2016, she took over as the landlady. Over time, the relationship between mama (Atanda) and I became that of a son and mother. I always helped her to rent out rooms and would give her money.
“Last year, mama called me and said my neighbour, Baba Femi, wanted to move out of the room-and-parlour apartment and that I should help her find another tenant. She said the room needed some renovation and she gave me N11,500. I eventually spent N18,000 on the renovation. Mama told me to rent it out for N10,000 per month and that he would collect two years’ rent.
“I informed her that somebody wanted to pay N180,000 for one and a half years and she asked me to collect the money. I collected N100,000 as a commission. Unfortunately, it was that time that my car was involved in an accident. I used the money to repair it and told mama that the tenant had not shown up. My wife also gave birth during that time through CS. I spent all the money I had on it.”
A police prosecutor, Inspector, Koti Aondohemba, on Tuesday brought Lawal before an Ogba magistrates’ court on two counts bordering on fraud.
The charge read, “That you, Kolawole Lawal, on November 9, 2018, on Ayantuga Street, Mushin, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did fraudulently obtain the sum of N280,000 from one Bakare Abiodun, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 323(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you, Kolawole Lawal, did dishonestly convert to your own use, the sum of N280,000, property of one Deborah Atanda, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs M. O. Tanimola, granted him bail in the sum of N80,000 with one reliable surety in the like sum and adjourned the matter till May 13, 2019.
