WTF? Landlord Slashes Tenant's Wife With Machette Over Delay In Rent

Before his rent expired on August 2010, Austin Nnaemeka was a confidant to his landlord, Jude Insomunu. Few tenants in the house at number 2 Ejifor Close, Ajao Estate, Lagos, knew that the two men were not related.

But the story changed after Nnaemeka failed to renew his rent after it expired in August. He also failed to move out of the house to allow another tenant in.

While the landlord did all he could to either make Nnaemeka pay or leave the 2-bedroom apartment; the tenant neither paid up nor left the house. The matter soon developed into a cold war between them.


According to Nnaemeka, since he was unable to pay his rent, it had been hell for his family in the house. He added that he could not move out because he did not have the financial power that getting a new house in Lagos entailed.


He said, “Since my rent expired, Insomuwu, has been so hash on me and my family. He gets angry with us unnecessarily and at every provocation.


“I appealed to him to take half of the rent from me, but efforts to make him accept the half payment proved fruitless.”


But the cold war blew open in December after Insomumu allegedly used a machete to cut Nnaemeka wife’s leg over a matter the former described as trivial.


Nnaemeka said that on December 13, 2010, his children were on their way to fetch water from a nearby compound when one of them stepped on a nail, which pierced through his sole. According to him, some bricklayers, who were erecting another apartment for the landlord, dropped their work tools all over the place. He said that when one of his twin boys was passing by the place, he stepped on the nail.


He said his wife who heard the boy cry went out and was trying to remove the nail from his leg when Insomuwu came out from his own apartment and started raining abuses on her.


Before long, harsh words were exchanged between Nnaemeka’s wife and the landlord and soon, it degenerated to physical combat.


He said that his wife, Uchenna, ran inside the house to call his attention to the assault by the landlord. “She then ran outside again. Unknown to her, as she ran to me, Insomuwu also went to his apartment and brought out a machete. As the woman emerged, he rushed at her and inflicted injury on her right leg with the machete,” Nnaemeka said.


He added that as he came outside the house, he was surprised to see his wife on the floor and Insomuwu was on her; beating and biting her.


“Blood was everywhere. I had to hold Insomuwu and wrestle the cutlass from him. I took my family to a nearby pharmacy for treatment. I later reported the case to the police.


“The landlord was invited and detained that day, but the following day, we went back to the police station only to discover that Insomuwu had already been released. Before we knew what was happening, the police had changed the matter against me,” he said.


Nnaemeka said that he then insisted that the matter be taken to court.


He said, “When we got to the court, I was surprised that I was charged with affray, without regards to what had happened to my wife. I was thereafter remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison on December 20, 2010.


“It was my extended family, friends and colleagues that mobilised and had me released.” Nnaemeka added that he had decided not to fight back because it would entail spending money. “I just don’t want any more problems. I will soon move out of this house,” he said.


Efforts to reach Insomuwu in his house proved abortive. He also continued to switch off his telephone immediately he realised that our correspondent was the one calling him.


But his wife, Julie said that Nnaemeka’s account was false, but declined further comment.


Spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba said it was not true that Nnaemeka was charged with afray.


He said, “What I know is that the police has charged the landlord to court for assaulting the woman.”