NewStats: 3,261,481 , 8,174,120 topics. Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 11:41 AM n1q1z

A 75-year-old landlady, Mrs Hannah Otite, has broken down in tears following the conversion of two flats in her property located at No. 3 Kafi Street in the Alausa area of Ikeja, Lagos State, to a hotel by a tenant, Oshinsegun Ashley, without her consent.

Narrating her ordeal to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, Otite said amid sobs that she got to know about the illegal conversion in December 2017, a few months after Ashley had moved into the house.

She explained that several attempts to get him to reverse the situation failed over the years as the tenant resorted to threatening her.

The septuagenarian said the tenant was introduced by her agent, identified simply as Kunle, in September 2017, adding that after paying N1.3m as the yearly rent for a flat, Ashley immediately indicated interest in securing another flat that became vacant.

Otite stated that unknown to her, the tenant had the dubious intention of converting the two flats into a hotel without her consent.

She said, “Ashley was brought to me by my agent, Kunle, and he paid the N1.3m annual rent for one flat. After three weeks, I went to the property and discovered that he had not moved in, I called the attention of the agent, but he said I should not bother myself since he had paid.

“I later travelled abroad and while away, I got a call that one of my tenants was moving out to his newly-built house. My agent again called to inform me that Ashley was interested in the vacant apartment for his brother, who was abroad; I was reluctant initially, because I didn’t want to give two flats to the same tenant, but he promised to abide by the agreement he had earlier signed when he rented the first flat.

“I didn’t know that he was collaborating with the agent, because shortly after, I got information from one of my other tenants that he had converted the flats to chalets. When I came back to Nigeria, I went to inspect my property only to see that Ashley had demolished the kitchen and other parts of the flats and converted them to rooms.

“I wept the day I found out that he had converted my house to a hotel because it was never in my plan. After pleading with him on several occasions to correct what he had done and move out of my house, he asked me to institute a legal action against him, boasting that he would not pay rent for the number of years the case would be in court.”

She added that she had reported the matter at the Ikeja Police Station and approached the court to evict the tenant, adding that though the case is on, Ashley had been threatening her.

Otite called on the state government and security agencies to assist her to reclaim her property.

Meanwhile, the Convener of the Movement for Human Rights Volunteers, Musbau Olatunji, has called on security operatives to protect Otite following the alleged threats by the tenant.

Olatunji told PUNCH Metro that he stepped into the matter to ensure that justice was served in the matter.

When ed on the telephone, Ashley said he never threatened Otite, adding that there was no agreement on the second flat he rented.

He stated, “Well, the matter is in court. She was cautioned last week not to disturb us. This is a property I got on lease; I have always got lease property since I relocated to Nigeria. I have never got a tenanted property and I told her of my intention and purpose of getting the entire six flats in the property.

“I got the first flat and six months after, I got the second flat, and I did not do any work on the first flat until when the second was available. When I got the second flat, I told her what I intended doing. I had done major work there, including marble tiling, screeding and POP for the entire ceiling, and so on. I was surprised that after that, she drew my attention to a one-year agreement.

“The only agreement I had with her was for one flat. I paid for the second flat and I was not given any agreement and you are asking me to leave. I am into the hotel and apartments business and I am surprised that after I have added value to the property, she wants me out. How is that possible? I am not threatening her life and everything is in court anyway.”

https://punchng.com/landlady-weeps-as-tenant-converts-flats-to-hotel/amp/

This Isn't News Nah, Na Normal Tin For Lasgidi

The guys actually took advantage of the woman greediness and naivety.
Kafi street being the next street to the popular Ikeja city mall, has just about 3 hotels with lots of nightlife.
With the amount of people that patronize the mall and the clubs around , any smart person knows that hotel business is gold mine around there.
He just played a fast one on the old woman in connivance with the agent.

Agreement or not, I don’t think the tenant has any right to modify the property and converting same without the owners consent.

I trust Lagos State Government, the tenant will be ejected because he might not have the necessary approval to run a hotel business in such environment. Unless he’s someone that knows someone somewhere.

This is human beings' wickedness to the another. Tenants like this are capable of employing diabolic means against the house owner.
May God keep us from evil and evil doers.

alonzoiv:
This is human beings' wickedness to the another

There is a big difrences btw wickedness and wrong doing. This is wrong doing, not wickedness as you claimed. In Estate management, they call it change of use

this woman should try evicting him the conventional way, carry like 5-6 babalawos to come threaten him ....

or maybe she converts two of her flats to church..... by this customers go stop t0 dey patronize the h0tel if the disturbance too much

Tenant from Hell..

Inside life

Some tenants can be so terrible. And some estate agents you put as confident will become judas Iscariot when it comes to money.

Opotoyi

Ok

There are 2 sides to the story.

He would never try this abroad, the same place he claims to have come from, without an eviction order and compensation levied against him..........


Added value to the property my ass.... He should provide his tenancy agreement..............

If he is paying his rents...why is the woman bothered? Abi she is enemy of progress?? Some landlords/landladies are wicked, a tenant will move into your dilapidated apartment and renovate it to his taste, when they see that the apartment is looking better, they will either look for a way to eject the tenant or increase his rent.

Simple solution, rent out the rest of the apartments to churches with blaring loudspeakers, let's see how many customers will patronize the chalet.

Na only God fit judge, assuming I still dey back ashawo now, God don butter our bread with coded locations, people go think say you wan go visit person for house, na to go pour akamu away codedly

I see no wrong doing here.....some of this land owners are dubious as fvck....after fixing the house for you. You now want to evict..

The case will drag on while d hotel guy will keep on making money.....I think I should do this to my land Lady

;DHow can u rent 2 flats to same person an nt b suspicious of his activities. Even d lie no go. If ur brother is comin frm abroad rent anoda house 4 him. I believe d landlady had a hint of wat he wanted to do b4 nw, she was only surprised an scared dat d guy might inherit d ause someday.(chief tenant).but d guy is mad sha. U paid for only one year rent an change d architectural structure of d building

Skyfornia:
If he is paying his bills...why is the woman bothered?

Why won't she be bothered, he has changed the use of the apartments. And she should not be bothered?......

BBBmall25:
This Isn't News Nah, Na Normal Tin For Lasgidi

For there ba? Come and try it here in Abuja, you will never forget your history

From the explanation of the tenant., i would rather keep mum and allow the court to handle it.

Werey rey Oooooooh

Very profitable business if you ask me

This one is mad ooo... Can he try that in the country he relocated from?? Nigerians deserve the kind of leaders they have ... How can u convert someone else's property for ur personal business and still try to justify what he did...

The woman should hv hired thugs to deal with him

WHAT YOU SOW YOU SHALL REAP

RichDad1:
The guys actually took advantage of the woman greediness and naivety.
Kafi street being the next street to the road popular Ikeja city mall, has just about 3 hotels lots of nightlife.
With the amount of people that patronize the mall and the clubs around , any smart person knows that hotel business is gold mine around there.
He just played a fast one on the old woman in connivance with the agent.

Agreement or not, I don’t think the tenant has any right in modifying the property and converting same without the owners consent.

I trust Lagos State Government, the tenant will be ejected because he might not have the necessary approval to run a hotel business in such environment. Unless he’s someone that knows someone somewhere.

It's not a hotel. It's a short let apartment or AirBNB - a major cash cow these days.

Lexusgs430:



Why won't she be bothered, he has changed the use of the apartments. And she should not be bothered?......

Omo forget what you heard, a lot happened inside the unheard stories. The matter is in court, why the woman still come dey shout?? Allow the law to take measures.

Skyfornia:
If he is paying his rents...why is the woman bothered? Abi she is enemy of progress?? Some landlords/landladies are wicked, a tenant will move into your dilapidated apartment and renovate it to his taste, when they see that the apartment is looking better, they will either look for a way to eject the tenant or increase his rent.