- Landlord-Tenant Dispute Turns Ugly in Lagos Industrial Hub
- Doherty alleged that CTSR began secretly subletting portions of the warehouse
- Affected tenants confirmed that they were arrested and harassed by law enforcement
Babajide Doherty, co-owner of a warehouse property located at 50A Industrial Estate, Morrison Crescent, Oregun, Alausa, Ikeja, has accused a woman identified as Mrs. Oti of breaching a lease agreement, failing to pay rent, and unlawfully subletting the premises without consent, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Doherty explained that the property was transferred to him and his two sisters in 2019. Following the transfer, a lease agreement was entered into with CTSR Properties.
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However, Doherty stated that the relationship with CTSR quickly deteriorated after it was discovered that only N250,000 had been paid as rent for the first year, an amount he described as far below the property’s market value. He also alleged that CTSR began secretly subletting portions of the warehouse to unsuspecting tenants without obtaining permission from the rightful owners.
“We never gave her written permission to sublet, and that is a fundamental violation of the agreement,” Doherty said. “Instead of addressing the matter legally after we filed for lease revocation, she began using the police, lodging false complaints, and sending thugs to intimidate both us and the tenants.”
Some of the affected tenants, including Mr. Anselm Tabansi of Svengali Designs Ltd. and Mrs. Zainab Akingbeyin, confirmed that they were arrested and harassed by law enforcement after they stopped paying rent due to the confusion over ownership.
They also claimed they were never informed by CTSR that the lease was under dispute, leading to business losses due to repeated threats and disruptions.
Doherty and his family have called on the authorities to investigate the matter and ensure that property rights are respected and protected under the law.
