Joshua Olorunfemi, a military officer, has refused to vacate his rented flat, claiming that his lease has yet to expire.
On Thursday, Olorunfemi told an Ilorin Area Court sitting at Igboro Centre that his annual rent was N152,000, not the N165,000 claimed by the landlord’s lawyer.
He insisted that his payment receipt said February, but his lease had not expired.
He explained that he and the landlord had an oral agreement that required him to pay half of the N70,000 rent.
The tenant went on to say that the landlord was supposed to repair the sitting room ceiling as part of their agreement, but he refused and made him suffer because the leaking roof almost ruined his property.
“When I complained to the Lawyer in charge, he sent N15,000 to me, to repair the house but I fixed the sitting room and other parts of the apartment with N115,900,” Olorunfemi explained.
Mr Olanrewaju Babalola, a Litigation Secretary managing the property, had earlier told the court that the tenant defaulted two months rent and the landlord wanted repossession of his property for personal use.
Babalola said that the tenant had been served eviction notice, but refused to vacate the apartment and tendered the documents to the court as evidence.
The presiding Judge, AbdulQadir Ibrahim accepted the documents as exhibits P1 and P2.
He ordered the tenant to produce all his evidence of payment and provide proof that his rent has not expired.
The case was adjourned to May 30, for proof of payment and all other evidence to the case.