The story you are about to read as narrated by. Sani Michael Omakoji, is an unbelievable true-life experience of how one caretaker in Abuja secretly made more money from rent than the landlord for four straight years!
It’s a story every landlord, tenant, property owner, and lover of justice should read.
It reveals the hidden evil going on in our society, often unnoticed and without government intervention.
For privacy reasons, the names of the individuals involved will not be mentioned.
Now, here’s the story:
There was a landlord in Abuja just like many others across the country who didn’t like to interact directly with his tenants.
He preferred to entrust his 14-unit one-bedroom apartment to a caretaker who collected rent and managed the property on his behalf.
In 2019, when tenants moved into the property, they were asked to pay ₦500,000 per unit, excluding legal and community levies of ₦75,000, all payable through the caretaker.
During that same period, the landlord held a brief meeting with the tenants.
He informed them that all matters concerning the property, including rent payments, should pass through the caretaker. He said clearly, “The caretaker is me, and I am the caretaker.”
He made it clear that he didn’t want tenants to contact him directly for any issue related to the property.
Some tenants tried to raise concerns about this arrangement, but he shut them down.
The meeting ended with everyone bound by the landlord’s instructions.
Then came 2020 just after the COVID-19 lockdown.
The caretaker gathered all tenants and announced that the landlord had increased the rent from ₦500,000 to ₦1,300,000.
After grumbling and complaining, nine tenants reluctantly renewed their rent at the new rate, while five tenants moved out, unable to meet the sudden increase.
Unknown to everyone, the landlord never increased the rent and had no idea that his caretaker had inflated the price.
From 2020 up until January 2025, tenants continued paying ₦1.3 million yearly to the caretaker, believing it was the landlord’s directive.
However, everything changed on October 1st, 2025, when the landlord called an impromptu meeting with the tenants.
He informed them of his plan to renovate the building and slightly increase the rent from ₦500,000 to ₦650,000 by the end of 2026.
The tenants were shocked and couldn’t believe what they heard. One outspoken tenant raised his hand and said:
“Sir, please, can you repeat what you just said? There seems to be some confusion.”
The landlord replied, “What confusion are you talking about?”
The tenant responded,
“Sir, we have been paying ₦1.3 million since 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
It hasn’t been easy for us. So, we’re surprised to hear you talking about an increase from ₦500,000 to ₦650,000.”
At that moment, the landlord was stunned and furious. Turning to the caretaker, he asked angrily, “Caretaker, did you hear what this tenant just said?”
The caretaker, overwhelmed with shame and guilt, broke down in tears, begging for forgiveness.
Then one of the tenants stood up and said:
“Oga Landlord, do you remember that first meeting in 2019 when you told us to direct all issues through the caretaker? I tried to speak up then, but you shut me down. This was exactly what I wanted to warn you about. I’ve lived in Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt, and now Abuja and I’ve seen these things happen. Now, look at the mess your so-called ‘trusted caretaker’ has put us all in.”
Today, the landlord is confused, unsure whether to even increase the rent again. Meanwhile, the tenants are demanding refunds of the excess money they’ve paid since 2020, and the caretaker is being dragged up and down.
As I State here, the matter is still ongoing, and no solution has been reached yet! 😂
This story reflects what many landlords and tenants in Nigeria go through daily because of a lack of coordinated property management and proper government regulation.
We hope this story opens the eyes of landlords, landladies, property owners, and tenants to be more vigilant and involved in managing their properties.
Corruption in property management often happens without government awareness, and it’s time for the federal government of Nigeria to begin regulating property dealings and standardizing rent charges across different categories of housing.
If you love this story as narrated by Sani Michael Omakoji Sani,
👉 Please share it widely across social media so others can read, learn, and wake up! 💕
