A rent dispute in Benin City, Edo State, turned violent after a tenant allegedly struck his landlord on the head during a confrontation over an increase in annual rent from ₦300,000 to ₦1 million.
Key Highlights
- A tenant in Benin City allegedly struck his landlord on the head during a rent dispute.
- The landlord reportedly raised the annual rent from ₦300,000 to ₦1 million.
- The tenant claims the landlord slapped him first and demanded payment for tiling work he funded.
- The landlord reportedly sustained serious head injuries.
- The tenant’s account has not been independently verified.
The incident gained public attention on Friday, October 30, after Edo TV shared a video in which the tenant recounted how the disagreement allegedly escalated into violence.
How The Dispute Started
According to the tenant, the dispute started when the landlord questioned him about the tiling work he had undertaken in the apartment with his personal funds to improve the property for his business.
He alleged that the landlord demanded additional payment for the renovation before raising the annual rent from ₦300,000 to ₦1 million.
The tenant claimed that the situation escalated after the landlord allegedly slapped him, prompting him to strike the landlord on the head in response.
Explaining his actions 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.
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However, details about the landlord’s current condition, the full circumstances surrounding the incident and whether the police have intervened were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.
The tenant’s account has not been independently verified, and the landlord’s version of events remains unknown.
The incident has sparked discussions on social media about rising rental costs, disputes over property improvements and disagreements between landlords and tenants.
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