Police arrest landlord for allegedly removing tenant’s roof

Police detectives from the Ozuoba Police Division in Rivers State have arrested a Ghanaian landlord, Mr Frimpong Samuel, for allegedly removing the roof of his tenant’s apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state. The tenant, Mr Anozie Tochukwu, is said to have been asked to vacate the apartment along Chief Chike Street, […]

Police detectives from the Ozuoba Police Division in Rivers State have arrested a Ghanaian landlord, Mr Frimpong Samuel, for allegedly removing the roof of his tenant’s apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

The tenant, Mr Anozie Tochukwu, is said to have been asked to vacate the apartment along Chief Chike Street, NTA Road, after his rent expired, but was allegedly given two weeks to pack out.

According to the police, Mr Frimpong allegedly stormed the compound on Tuesday while the tenant was away and removed the roof of the apartment, despite the presence of the tenant’s wife and children inside.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspect had been arrested and would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations.

Narrating his ordeal, Mr Tochukwu said he moved into the house in January 2024 and had been consistent with his rent payments.

He explained that towards the end of 2025, the landlord served him a notice, informing him of plans to renovate the apartment and advising him not to renew his rent, which was due to expire in January 2026.

“On February 1, 2026, I showed him evidence of payment for a new apartment and pleaded for 14 days, which would elapse on February 14, to move out,” he said.

“But to my greatest surprise, at about 8:02am on February 3, 2026, my wife called to inform me that the landlord had removed the roof of my apartment.

“A few hours later, it started raining heavily, and all my properties, documents and certificates were exposed to the rain. My pregnant wife and my two children, aged two and three, were also exposed.

“Currently, properties worth about N25 million have been damaged,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, a legal practitioner with a human rights organisation, Lawyers Watch for Justice International Initiative (LAWJII), Mr Raymond Okocha, described the action as a grave injustice and a breakdown of the rule of law.