Thirty-four-year-old Henry Chijioke Chukwuma appeared before a Lagos Magistrates’ Court to address charges of making unapproved structural changes to his rented home in Ajah. The homeowner, Moses Okeoma, initiated the legal process by filing a petition with the Zone 2 Police Command after discovering that the tenant had partitioned sections of the flat, shifted the bathroom doorway, and damaged wall structures at the Vintage Estate property.
Authorities stated that these modifications were performed without the landlord’s knowledge or consent, effectively violating local building codes. Following an investigation led by Inspector Odijile Eghonghon, the police brought a single charge of wilful damage against the defendant.
During the court session, prosecutor Superintendent Reuben Solomon emphasized that tenants must seek permission from property owners before altering living spaces. He noted that the defendant’s actions conflicted with the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Chukwuma entered a plea of not guilty. Magistrate T.O. Abayomi granted the defendant bail set at N100,000, requiring two sureties, and postponed the case for further mention on August 14, 2026.
