Thursday, February 5, 2026 - The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a Ghanaian national, Mr Samuel Frimpong, for allegedly removing the roof of his tenant’s apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Police said the suspect is accused of de-roofing the
apartment of his tenant, Mr Anozie Tochukwu, who resides at No. 7 Chief Chike
Street, after the tenant failed to vacate the premises following the expiration
of a two-week grace period
According to information obtained by journalists, the
incident occurred in the Obio/Akpor area of the state and was reported to the
Ozuoba Police Division.
Narrating his ordeal, Mr Tochukwu said he moved into the
property in January 2024 and had consistently paid his rent to the landlord.
He said that towards the end of 2025, Mr Frimpong served him
with a notice informing him of plans to renovate the apartment and directed him
not to renew his lease, which was due to expire in January 2026.
“On the first of February 2026, I showed him the transaction
payment that I made for a new apartment and pleaded for 14 days, which will
elapse on the 14th of February, to relocate,” Tochukwu said.
“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) had
de-roofed my apartment. A few hours later, it started raining heavily, and all
my property, documents, and certificates were exposed to the rain. My pregnant
wife and my two kids, two years old and three years old respectively, were
exposed to,” he lamented. The tenant further alleged extensive loss of personal
belongings as a result of the incident.
“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 bed frame, 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,” Tochukwu
said.
Police sources said detectives from the Ozuoba Police
Division arrested the landlord on Wednesday, February 3, 2026, after the matter
was formally reported.
Confirming the arrest, the spokesperson of the Rivers State
Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspect is currently in police
custody.
“Yes, I can confirm. The landlord has been arrested. He is
with us; the investigation is ongoing. He may be arraigned after the
investigation,” Iringe-Koko, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said.
Meanwhile, a legal practitioner with the human rights group
Lawyers Watch for Justice International Initiative, Mr Raymond Okocha,
described the incident as a grave injustice and a breakdown of the rule of law.
Okocha said the landlord allegedly took the law into his own
hands by acting without due legal process.
“Under the 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,” he said.
“By removing that roof, the landlord has not only breached
the Recovery of Premises Law but also 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 Tochukwu is justice for all of us,” Okocha added. Police
said investigations into the matter are ongoing.
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