A 67-year-old tenant, Pastor Bolaji Olukotun, has died after he was allegedly assaulted and forcefully evicted from his residence at Admiralty Homes Estate, Lekki, Lagos, by suspected agents of a landlord during a disputed property takeover.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Saturday that the incident occurred on Saturday, July 11, while the victim died in the early hours of last Sunday after he was rushed to a private hospital.
According to an eyewitness account by his lawyer, Barrister Akpobome Deniran, the incident stemmed from an unresolved rental dispute between Pastor Bolaji and his landlord.
He noted that Bolaji had rented the apartment with the agreement that he could buy it upon the expiration of his lease. However, when his tenancy expired, and the landlord made an offer, the late Bolaji could not fulfil the monetary requirements.
The non-fulfilment of the sales agreement was said to have prompted the landlord to insist that Bolaji should vacate the apartment so that the property would be sold to another buyer.
