Henry Chijioke Chukwuma, 34, faced a Lagos Magistrates' Court after authorities accused him of making unauthorised changes to his rented apartment in Ajah without his landlord's permission. Zone 2 Police Command arrested him following a complaint from Moses Okeoma, the property owner at Vintage Estate, Ajah.
Police alleged that Chukwuma divided sections of the flat, moved the bathroom entrance and damaged wall portions without approval from Okeoma. The modifications, officers claimed, breached building regulations and lacked the necessary authorisation.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police Olohundare Jimoh, who oversees Zone 2, ordered investigators to look into the matter and stop the dispute from turning violent. Inspector Odijile Eghonghon led the investigation that followed.
Chukwuma appeared before Magistrate T.O. Abayomi at Igbosere Magistrates' Court on a single charge of wilfully damaging the bathroom wall and door.
He denied the accusation.
Prosecuting counsel Superintendent of Police Reuben Solomon argued to the court that Chukwuma needed Okeoma's approval before making any structural changes. "Since the defendant accepted the apartment without complaint before occupying it, any later modification demanded the landlord's consent," he told reporters.
Solomon added that the defendant's actions violated government building regulations under Section 337 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The alleged breach carried serious legal consequences, he noted.
Magistrate Abayomi set his bail at N100,000 and required two sureties to pledge the same amount each. The case now returns to court on August 14, 2026, for the next hearing.
