Landlord's Son Beats And Damages Pregnant Tenant's Eyes Over Quit Notice

A 37-year-old pregnant woman, Mrs. Dupe Balogun has been battered by her landlord’s son, Tunde Sanusi for inability to vacate the house. The 22-year-old man reportedly pummeled the victim and damaged one of her eyes for allegedly failing to vacate the house after she had been served a notice to quit. The building is located on Andrew Street, Lagos Island, while the incident happened on Sunday, March 27. The landlord had been hard on Balogun for refusing to comply with the notice, allegedly threatening to kill the woman and her son.

The trader said she was ill on that day and was about entering her room on her way back from a hospital around 4pm when an argument ensued between her and Sanusi. The suspect, together with his sister and the father, afterwards descended on Balogun and beat her up. She was said to have been given a fist blow in the eye by Sanusi during the scuffle. The incident was reported at the Adeniji Adele Police Division and Sanusi was arrested. 

Balogun, who is four months pregnant, told the police that the injury would have been much but for the intervention of the neighbours. She said, “The landlord gave us a notice to quit and always came to our apartment to bang the door, threatening to kill my son and me. As I came back from the hospital around 4pm on Sunday and sat in front of my shop, Tunde (Sanusi), the landlord’s son, approached and challenged me, saying I refused to quit the house after receiving the notice. I told him to let my husband return.

“All of a sudden, he started abusing me. Before I knew what was happening, he gave me a fist blow in the eye. The landlord and another child of his joined Tunde to beat me up. It was my neigbours that rescued me.”

The suspect said he met Balogun on his way to the bathroom on that day and she started abusing him. He said, “I also abused her. She attempted to hold my shirt and I pushed her. Maybe as a result of that, she hit her eye on a grinding machine on the premises. I did not touch her; my daddy told me to leave her and he did not touch her either. “I only told her that her rent was due and that she should pack out from our house. She replied that I should do it myself. She held me and I pushed her. My sister did not beat her.”

A police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale, brought Sanusi before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on one count of assault occasioning harm.

The charge read, “That you, Tunde Sanusi, and one other at large, at Andrew by Rica Street, Lagos Island, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Dupe Balogun by giving her a blow in her left eye and gave her bodily harm, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The accused pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial. He was granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum, while the case was adjourned till May 11, 2016.