By MUJIDAT OYEWOLE

A military officer, Joshua Olorunfemi, has refused to vacate his rented apartment, claiming that his rent is yet to expire.

Olorunfemi told an Ilorin Area Court sitting at Igboro Centre on Thursday, that his annual rent was N152,000 against N165,000 as claimed by the landlord’s lawyer.

He insisted that his receipt of payment read February but his rent had not expired.

He explained that there was an oral agreement between him and the landlord which made him pay half of the rent of N70,000.

The tenant further said that part of their agreement was for the landlord to repair the sitting room ceiling, but he refused and made him suffer, as the leaking roof almost spoiled 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. (NAN)