Ogona Anita
Detectives from Ozuoba Police Division in Rivers State on Wednesday,3 February,2026 arrested a Ghanaian, Mr Frimpong Samuel for allegedly removing the roof of his Nigerian tenant,Mr Anozie Tochukwu at N0 7 Chief Chike Street, NTA Road, Mgbuoba,Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, for failing to pack out two weeks after expiration of his rent,this publication can report.
Narrating his ordeal, the tenant, Mr Tochukwu disclosed that he moved into the house of Frimpong Samuel in January 2024 and have been consistent in paying his rent.
“Late 2025, he served me a notice for renovation of the apartment and asked me not to renew my rent that will expire in January 2026. On the first of February 2026, I showed him transaction payment that I made for a new apartment and pleaded for 14 days which will elapse on the 14th of February to move out.
“But to my greatest surprise, at about 8:02 AM, on February 3,2026 my wife called to inform me that the landlord, Mr. Frimpong Samuel, has de-roofed my apartment. Few hours later, it started raining heavily with all my properties, documents & certificates all exposed in the rain. My pregnant wife and my 2 kids of 2 years and 3 years were exposed too.
“Currently, all my properties worth 25 Million Naira got damaged inclusive of 43 inches Maxi television, a deep freezer, chandelier, set of chairs, NYSC certificate, my degree certificate, my professional certifications, books, clothes, foodstuff, 4×6 foam and bedframe, baby medications, pregnancy medications, my wife’s certificates, children birth certificate, my shoes, children shoes and wife shoes, and my saving box of close to nine months of saving is missing. My ceiling fan is missing” Mr Tochukwu said.
The Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Chief Superintendent of Police,CSP Grace Iringe Koko when contacted confirmed the incident.CSP Koko said “the landlord have been arrested,and will be arraigned in court upon completion of investigation”.
Meanwhile, Raymond Okocha,Esq a legal practitioner with a human rights organization, Lawyers Watch for Justice International Initiative,LAWJII in Port Harcourt in his response described the incident as grave injustice and a total breakdown of the rule of law.
Mr Okocha noted that the landlord took the law into his own hands in the most barbaric way possible. Without serving a statutory Notice to Quit, without a Seven-day Notice of Intention to Recover Premises, and without any Order of Court, proceeded to unlawfully deroof the tenant’s apartment where he lives with his pregnant wife and two small children.
“under Nigerian law, ‘self-help’ is alien. You cannot evict a tenant by destroying the property. To evict a human being, you must follow due process through our courts. By removing that roof, the landlord has not only breached the Recovery of Premises Law, but he has committed a flagrant violation of the family’s fundamental right to dignity. This is a clear case of malicious damage and psychological abuse.
“We are calling for immediate justice.We want the law to take its full course. Justice for Mr. Precious Tochukwu is justice for all of us” Mr Okocha said.
