By A 53-year-old landlady, Adeola Olaitan Bankole, has found herself in legal trouble in Lagos State for allegedly removing the roof of her tenant, Jimoh Kingsley Oriafor, in a bid to evict him illegally.
Mrs Bankole allegedly hired thugs to remove the roof of the apartment in an attempt to forcefully eject the tenant. Unfortunately, heavy rainfall followed, damaging the tenant’s belongings, reportedly worth over ₦3 million.
The incident occurred on 11th May 2024, at 22 Adaranigbagbo Street, Idera Estate, Amule Ayobo, Lagos, where the complainant, Mr Jimoh Kingsley Oriafor, had rented an apartment.
The matter was reported to the Police at Area P Command, Alagbado, Lagos. Mrs Bankole was arrested and detained for interrogation regarding the incident, which led to the destruction of Mr Oriafor’s property.
During interrogation, the Police established that the act was deliberate and part of a ploy to evict the tenant without following due legal process.
She was found culpable and subsequently charged before the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for offences that carry the possibility of several years of imprisonment.
The charges read as follows:
Count I: “That you, Adeola Olaitan Bankole ‘F’, on the 11th day of May 2024, at No. 22 Adaranigbagbo Street, Idera Estate, Amule Ayobo, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully and maliciously remove the roof of the apartment of one Jimoh Kingsley Oriafor ‘M’, thereby causing damage to his properties valued at Three Million One Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira (₦3,160,000.00), and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 339 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
Count II: “That you, Adeola Olaitan Bankole ‘F’, on the same date and at the same location in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by removing the roof of the apartment of one Jimoh Kingsley Oriafor ‘M’, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 168 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, requested that a hearing date be set to allow the Police to prove the allegations, given her not-guilty plea.
Presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.K. Dosumu-Uthman, granted Mrs Bankole bail in the sum of ₦500,000 with two sureties in like sum. The sureties are required to provide evidence of means of livelihood and tax payments, and their addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned until 3rd June 2025 for mention, while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional centre in Kirikiri, Lagos, pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions.
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