A widow, Mrs. Doris Okolie, has accused a lawyer, Mr. Chinedu Ofodum, of intimidation and unlawful eviction from her rented apartment in Asaba, Delta State.
Okolie, who spoke to South-South PUNCH on Tuesday, claimed she had paid her rent in full up to April 2026 but was still served with a quit notice.
She said she had also petitioned the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty Prof. Epiphany Azinge, to intervene in what she described as oppression.
The widow narrated that she rented a one-room and parlour apartment at No. 12 Peter Osadebe Street, Asaba, in May 2023 at the cost of N300,000.
She alleged that despite repeated complaints about a leaking sewage pipe, the landlord failed to carry out repairs, forcing her to spend over N90,000 on plumbing work.
According to her, Ofodum later raised the rent to N400,000 in August 2024 and again to N500,000 in January 2025, both of which she paid without objection.
However, shortly after renewing her tenancy in May, she said the lawyer suddenly demanded that she vacate the property without refunding her rent in full.
“He insisted on deducting part of the rent already paid before refunding the balance, which I rejected,” Okolie said, adding that she was later issued a seven-day quit notice and eventually dragged to court.
In her petition to the monarch, she described the lawyer’s action as “a clear case of humiliation, intimidation and oppression,” calling on authorities to intervene.
When contacted, Ofodum confirmed the dispute but said it was already before the court.
He explained that the widow was issued the statutory one-month quit notice, followed by a seven-day notice before legal action was filed.
“We didn’t tell her to pay any rent, and even if she paid, the notice we served determined her tenancy,” the lawyer said.
He added that he had proposed a “counterbalance,” meaning deductions for the period she had already stayed before refunding the balance, but claimed she refused.
Asked why the tenant paid N500,000 if she was considered a monthly tenant, Ofodum insisted that “it does not matter, the landlord has the right to determine tenancy.”
The case is expected to come up in court later this month or next.