Pandemonium broke out in Benin City, Edo State, after a tenant allegedly smashed his landlord’s head following a heated argument over rent increment.
The incident, which happened on Thursday morning, October 30, 2026, went viral after a video shared by Edo TV captured the tenant confessing to the attack.
According to the tenant, trouble started after he used his own money to tile the apartment to make it more suitable for his business.
He said his landlord confronted him on the morning of the incident, questioned him about the renovation, and demanded extra payment for the tiling work.
The landlord then allegedly increased his rent from N300,000 to N1 million — a 233% hike.
The argument turned physical.
“He slapped me first and out of my defence, I smashed his head. It wasn’t intentional,” the tenant said in the video.
The landlord was left with serious head injuries and was seen with bandages wrapped around his head.
The video has triggered outrage on social media, with many Nigerians debating the skyrocketing cost of rent and the strained landlord-tenant relationship across the country.
As of press time, it was unclear if the police had arrested the tenant, while the landlord is said to be receiving treatment.
Landlord-tenant disputes are common in Edo and other states, but experts say no rent dispute justifies violence. Under tenancy laws, tenants are advised to seek legal redress through mediation or the courts rather than resort to self-help.
