70-year-old Widow Arraigned for Owing 20 Years Rent

By Zipporah Bamidele

A 70-year-old widow, Madam Elizabeth Adeoni has been arraigned before a customary court at the Oja-Oba palace square in Osogbo, capital of Osun State for owing rent for 20 years.

Elizabeth’s landlord, Mr Lateef Adegoke told the court that the old woman has not been paying rent since 1995 and prayed the court to help him to recover his money from the septuagenarian.

Lamenting the economic hardship in the state, the landlord insisted he needed money to take care of certain financial obligations and urged the court to order the aged woman to pay and vacate the house so that he would take a new tenant.

While speaking, the old woman said life has been very difficult for her since her husband died many years ago and that things became worse when she lost her two children.

Elizabeth who was weeping in the court said her business collapsed after the death of her children and that she often sleep with empty stomach. She pleaded with the court to help her beg her landlord not to eject her from the house because she has nowhere to go.

The presiding judge at the customary court, Chief Ladipo Balogun admonished the woman not to lose hope and charged her to find something to do so as to be able to pay her landlord. The judge adjourned the matter to 15 of March 2016.