By Merciful Omoba
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a landlord and his associate following the death of a tenant, identified as Olayeni, during a rent dispute in the Oriyangi area of Ibadan.
Olayeni was reportedly struck during an altercation on Wednesday after being unable to pay his rent.
The landlord’s associate allegedly attacked him, leading to his collapse. Emergency responders rushed him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police spokesperson Adewale Osifeso, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed the arrests, assuring that a thorough investigation was ongoing.
“The Oyo State Police Command expresses its condolences to the victim’s family and assures that justice will be served,” the statement read.
The incident has sparked renewed debate over the soaring cost of housing in Nigeria, with calls for stronger government measures to ease tensions between landlords and tenants.
This is not the first tragedy of its kind in Ibadan. In 2011, police arrested a landlord accused of killing his tenant, Jelili Akande, during a dispute over a N300 electricity bill.
