The
Lagos State Police Command has arrested a landlady, Mrs. Nike Azeez, for
allegedly setting fire to her tenants’ apartment in the Ijegun area of the
state.
It was
learnt that Azeez, who lives on Two Brothers Street, was arrested on Thursday
by the Isheri-Oshun Police Division.
It was
gathered that the landlady allegedly set fire to the apartment, rented by a
couple – Shakiru Adeleke and Abosede – during an altercation on Tuesday around
8.30am.
It was
gathered that the landlady allegedly grabbed the couple’s two-year-old boy,
Adam, and dropped him on the ground, before he was rescued by neighbours.
It was
learnt that the altercation bordered on Azeez’s alleged insistence that Shakiru
and his family should pack out of the house.
A
neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The cause of the
disagreement was that the landlady did not want the family in the house again.
“On
Tuesday, she took some petrol and poured it around the couple’s apartment
before setting fire to it. We quickly mobilised to put out the fire, but it had
destroyed the apartment.”
It was
learnt that Azeez allegedly absconded from the house on Tuesday, after the
matter was reported at the police station. However, she was arrested on
Thursday.
The
tenant, Shakiru, said, “I rented this house two years ago and I have a small
generator which I used. Few weeks ago, the landlord said I should stop using
the generator, which I ignored.
“His
wife said I must listen to her husband or leave their house. She later brought
some people to remove the doors and windows of the house.
“On
Tuesday, I was not at home when the incident happened. It was my wife who
called me that the landlady had set fire to our apartment. When I got back
home, most of my property had been burnt.”
Shakiru’s
wife, Abosede, said that she had taken Adam to a hospital.
She said on the telephone, “During the
commotion caused by our landlord’s wife, she threw my son over the fence and
the boy hit the ground and injured his head.
“I am at the hospital. He has taken an
X-ray and other checkups. I cannot estimate how much we have spent since
Tuesday to treat him.”
When contacted on the telephone, the
landlady’s husband, Jamiu Azeez, admitted that his wife beat up Abosede,
Shakiru’s wife, but denied that she set fire to the house.
He said, “I was not there. I only know
she went to the apartment to fight and left. People accused her of setting fire
to it, but my wife has denied it.
“My tenant’s wife usually cooks in the
parlour, and the cooking could have started the fire. My wife said she
only
beat up the tenant’s wife.
“Abosede had once brought thugs to the
house to beat up my wife. So, my wife went to revenge. My tenant’s wife also
keeps petrol in the house. I had to go and report her to the police to stop
doing all that. We settled this matter, but my wife was not aware that we had
settled the matter.
“About the injured two-year-old boy, my
wife only picked up the boy to threaten his mother to come out of the room
where she had locked herself up. It was the neighbours who struggled to take
the child from her, and the boy got injured in the process. I am at the
station, but my wife is in detention. She did not set fire to the house.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations
Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.
She said, “She will be charged to court
as soon as investigation is concluded.”
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