- Landlord, Staff Convicted for Illegal Ejection of Lagos Couple
- Belongings Still Missing
- The convicted individuals were sentenced to six months in a correctional centre and ordered to pay N250,000 each to the court
A Lagos couple, Mr. Olusola Alabi and Mrs. Olufunmilola Alabi, have expressed frustration that justice remains incomplete despite a court ruling in their favour against their landlord, Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem, and associates.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the couple said they rented an apartment at Block A, Flat 3, 96B Ladipo Omotesho Cole Street, Lekki Phase I, Lagos, from Onwukwem’s company, Green Birch Tech Limited, in May 2021 for short-let business purposes. Disputes later arose over alleged breaches of the tenancy agreement, prompting legal action by Mrs. Alabi.
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On June 5, 2025, Chief Magistrate Kikelomo Olaiya Doja-Ojo convicted Onwukwem, his co-director Mr. Isaiah Davies Ijele, estate manager Mr. Sodiq Kazeem, and staff member Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo for contempt of court. The defendants were found guilty of unlawfully ejecting the claimants, trespassing, removing furniture and electronics, and changing locks without court authorization, while Suit No: MISC/MCE/07/2023 and Suit No: MCE165/CIV/2024 were pending.
The convicted individuals were sentenced to six months in a correctional centre and ordered to pay N250,000 each to the court. The court also mandated that the couple be restored to possession of the apartment and that all removed belongings be returned.
Despite the ruling, the Alabis claim they have yet to recover all items and allege that the apartment has been rented to another tenant. They said while Kazeem is serving his jail term at Ikoyi Correctional Centre, the other three convicted persons remain at large.
Attempts to reach Onwukwem and Ijele for comment were unsuccessful. Igbo, however, denied allegations that she was arrested or acted as a surety for Kazeem, stating she was only a secretary and HR staff at the firm and was in law school in 2021. She confirmed that steps are being taken to obtain a remand order to resolve the issue.
The couple has appealed to the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the matter and ensure accountability.
