Tenants residing at 5, Association Avenue in Ilupeju, Lagos, have raised serious allegations of unlawful harassment and intimidation against their landlord and officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
The tenants claim that the pressure being exerted on them is aimed at evicting them from their homes without following the due legal process.
According to multiple tenants who spoke to Vanguard newspaper, the conflict intensified on June 3, 2025, when a police officer from the Zonal Oracle Unit, Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, arrived at the property and allegedly coerced three tenants into signing a document that would require them to vacate their apartments within two weeks. The confrontation reportedly took place in the presence of legal representatives for both the current property owner and the new buyer.
One of the affected tenants, Mr. Vincent Uba, told Vanguard that the signing session occurred in front of a lawyer named Funmilayo, said to be representing Adeola & Adeola Chambers. Uba said the document they were asked to sign instructed them to vacate the premises promptly to enable the new owners to begin renovation work and bring in construction materials.
Uba refused to sign the agreement and claimed that this led to a delay in his release from police custody that day. He said that the following day, June 4, contractors began delivering construction materials, including concrete blocks, to the compound—suggesting that the new owners were proceeding with renovations despite ongoing legal disputes and the lack of consent from all tenants.
Uba also expressed concern for his personal safety, alleging that men he described as “dangerous-looking” had been observed lingering around the property. He stated that their presence was clearly intended to intimidate the remaining tenants and pressure them into vacating their apartments under duress.
The situation reportedly escalated further on June 20, when Uba alleged that agents acting on behalf of the new property owners, accompanied by a truckload of labourers, attempted to break into his apartment and forcibly evict his family. According to him, the intervention of concerned neighbours prevented what he believed could have been an illegal and possibly violent eviction.
Just a day later, on June 24, Uba reported another incident involving three policemen who entered the compound around 9 a.m. and arrested several individuals. The arrested persons were taken to an undisclosed police station. Uba claimed that, only 20 minutes after the police left, four other individuals arrived at the building claiming they were there to inspect it with technical equipment.
He alleged that the arrests may have been a deliberate attempt to remove witnesses or tenants in order to clear the way for these new individuals to gain access to the property.
Uba emphasized that the entire dispute is already under legal review. He said two ongoing court cases are in progress—one at a Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Ejiro Kubeyinje, and another at the Federal High Court, where a suit concerning fundamental human rights is currently before Justice C. Aneke.
He questioned why police officers would be involved in enforcing what is essentially a civil matter that remains unresolved in court. He further warned that continued attempts to forcibly remove tenants despite the active litigation could amount to contempt of court.
Tenants at the property have appealed to higher authorities within the police force and the Lagos State Government to intervene and ensure their safety. They called for an investigation into the conduct of the officers involved and the role of the landlord and new property owners in what they described as a campaign of intimidation.
Legal experts say that while landlords are within their rights to seek eviction when necessary, Nigerian law requires that such actions be carried out strictly through court-sanctioned processes. Any attempt to remove tenants by force or through police intimidation without a valid court order is considered illegal and could lead to criminal or civil liability.
As of the time of reporting, neither the police nor the representatives of Vivastar Nigeria Limited, the property owner, had issued a formal response to the allegations.
