A tenant in the Ipaja area of Lagos has accused his landlord, Mr. Babatunde Popoola said to be a pastor with Living Faith Church Worldwide of denying him access to electricity despite settling outstanding charges.
The tenant, Mr. Theophilus Aluko, who has lived at 11 Church Street, Oke Isagun, Command Road since 2019, claimed his household has been without power for more than 48 hours following restrictions allegedly imposed by the landlord.
Aluko explained that electricity in the building is centrally managed by Popoola, with all prepaid meters reportedly under his control. As a result, tenants depend on the landlord to recharge units—an arrangement he described as irregular and often inconvenient.
He further alleged that tenants are not always notified when their electricity units are nearly exhausted, leading to sudden blackouts, sometimes late at night when it becomes difficult to purchase additional units.
The dispute reportedly intensified on March 17, 2026, when Aluko attempted to top up his electricity but was denied access. According to him, the landlord insisted that unpaid utility bills for January and February must first be cleared.
“I paid the outstanding fees immediately and have receipts to prove it,” Aluko said. “Yet, I was still not allowed to recharge electricity.”
As of March 18, 2026, the tenant said his family remained without power, a situation he noted has disrupted both his hybrid work schedule and his wife’s fully remote job.
Describing the experience as distressing, Aluko argued that electricity is a basic necessity that should not be withheld once payment obligations have been met.
Legal analysts note that denying tenants access to essential services like electricity could raise concerns under tenancy laws, particularly if done outside due process.
Efforts to get a response from Popoola were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.
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