The Rivers State Police Command said its agents arrested a Ghanaian national named Samuel Frimpong for allegedly removing the roof of his tenant, Anozie Tochukwu, who lives at No. 7 Chief Chike Street, Mgbuoba, in the state’s Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
According to reports, the landlord took action when his Nigerian tenant failed to evacuate the apartment after the two-week grace period had expired.
The renter, Mr. Tochukwu, described his plight, saying he moved into Mr. Frimpong’s residence in January 2024 and has continuously paid his rent.
However, the distraught tenant stated that in late 2025, his landlord gave him a notice to renovate the property and requested him not to extend the lease, which will expire in January 2026.
“On the first of February 2026, I showed him the transaction payment that I made for a new apartment and pleaded for 14 days, which will elapse on the 14th of February, to relocate.
“But to my greatest surprise, at about 8:02 AM, on February 3, 2026, my wife called to inform me that the landlord (Mr. Frimpong) had de-roofed my apartment. A few hours later, it started raining heavily, and all my property, documents, and certificates were exposed to the rain. My pregnant wife and my two kids, two years old and three years old, respectively, were exposed to,” he lamented.
Mr. Tochukwu continued, “Currently, all my properties worth 25 million Naira got damaged, inclusive of a 43-inch Maxi television, a deep freezer, a chandelier, a set of chairs, an NYSC certificate, my degree certificate, my professional certifications, books, clothes, foodstuff, a 4×6 foam and bed frame, baby medications, pregnancy medications, my wife’s certificates, a children’s birth certificate, my shoes, children’s shoes, and wife’s shoes, and my saving box of close to nine months of saving is missing. My ceiling fan is missing,” Mr. Tochukwu said.
Detectives from the Ozuoba Police Division in Obio/Akpor, Rivers State, detained the landlord on Wednesday, February 3, 2026, after the incident was reported.
When reached, Grace Iringe-Koko, a spokesperson for the State Police Command, confirmed Mr. Frimpong’s detention and said the case is being investigated.
Abuja tenants accuse police officer of death threats in desperate ‘save our souls’ petitions
Fayose threatens to demolish house over tenants’ debts
Iringe-Koko, a Chief Superintendent of Police, responded, “Yes, I can affirm. The landlord has been arrested. He is with us (the police), and the investigation is proceeding. He may be charged following the investigation.”
Meanwhile, Raymond Okocha, a legal practitioner with the Human Rights Organization ‘Lawyers Watch for Justice International Initiative,’ condemned the episode as ‘severe injustice’ and a ‘breakdown’ of the rule of law.
Okocha stated that the landlord took the law into his own hands in the most barbaric manner, unlawfully de-roofing the tenant’s apartment where he lives with his pregnant wife and two children, without serving a statutory Notice to Quit, a seven-day Notice of Intention to Recover Premises, or any Order of Court.
He stated, “Under the Nigerian law, ‘self-help’ is alien. You cannot evict a tenant by destroying the property. To evict a human being, you must follow due process through our courts. By removing that roof, the landlord has not only breached the Recovery of Premises Law but also committed a flagrant violation of the family’s fundamental right to dignity.
“This is a clear case of malicious damage and psychological abuse. We are calling for immediate justice. We want the law to take its full course. Justice for Mr. Tochukwu is justice for all of us,” the lawyer said.
