NIGERIA: How A Tenant Turned His Rented Apartment To A Shrine In Lagos

A herbalist, Lamidi Ibrahim, who allegedly converted his rented apartment to a shrine, was on Tuesday arraigned in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for breach of peace and conspiracy. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that Ibrahim, 42, of No. 9, Awopeju Close, Iju-Ishaga, Agege, Lagos, committed the offences on Aug. 31 at his residence.

Olatunde said that the accused and others still at large conspired to cause a breach of the peace by illegally converting a rented room into a shrine. Olatunde said that the accused always performed rituals and disturbed the peace of neighbours.

“The accused always buries charms in the compound, thereby disturbing the peace of co-tenants and all efforts to caution him always resulted in threat to life. “He also performed rituals, sacrifices, including spiritual cleansing in the premises,” he said.

The prosecutor said the house was also used by scammers to carry out fraudulent activities in addition to its being used as an abode for miscreants. “The accused always brings people of questionable character to the premises to perpetrate fraudulent acts and engage in smoking of hemp,” Olatunde said.

He said the offences contravened Sections 166 and 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which prescribes six months jail-term for offenders. The accused pleaded innocent of the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mr A O Aka-Bashorun, adjourned the case to Oct. 10 for mention.