By George Omagbemi
A tenant has allegedly smashed his landlord’s head during a violent confrontation in Benin City, Edo State, following a dispute over an increase in annual rent from ₦300,000 to ₦1 million.
The incident came to public attention on Friday, October 30, after a video shared by Edo TV showed the tenant explaining how the disagreement reportedly escalated into violence.
According to the tenant, the dispute began when his landlord questioned him about tiling work he had carried out in the apartment using his personal funds to improve the property for his business.
He claimed that the landlord demanded additional payment for the renovation and subsequently increased his annual rent from ₦300,000 to ₦1 million.
The tenant further alleged that the confrontation became physical after the landlord slapped him, prompting him to strike the landlord on the head.
In the video, he said: “He slapped me first and out of my defence, I smashed his head. It wasn’t intentional.”
The confrontation reportedly left the landlord with serious head injuries.
However, details about the landlord’s current condition, the exact circumstances of the confrontation and whether the police have intervened were not immediately available.
The tenant’s account has not been independently verified, and the landlord’s version of events is yet to be established.
The incident has generated reactions online, with renewed discussions about rising rents, tenant-landlord disagreements and the need to resolve property disputes through lawful means rather than violence.
Leave a Reply