Udouko Ememabasi, a final-year student at Lagos State University (LASU), is calling for justice after a troubling incident involving her landlord, Idowu Shodipo, and his mother. Ememabasi claims she was assaulted following a dispute over a waste bin placed outside her room.
In an interview with DailyTrust, Ememabasi recounted that on the evening of August 12, 2024, she and her friend, Eseh Gift Uduoghene, found a waste bin in front of their door. After inquiring with a neighbor, they learned it was placed there by their landlord. When they approached the landlord’s mother in her shop for an explanation, the situation escalated quickly.
“She started insulting me, then slapped and beat me, hitting me where I had previously undergone surgery,” Ememabasi said. Her friend intervened, pulling her away, but the situation deteriorated. Ememabasi described how the landlord’s mother and her sons aggressively tried to break into their home, banging on doors and windows. Despite calling the police, no assistance arrived, leaving them feeling vulnerable and frightened.
The next day, Ememabasi and her friend discovered their apartment door had been padlocked from the outside. They were left with no means to escape if an emergency arose. Ememabasi’s father, who lives in Ogun State, arrived to plead with the landlord and his family, but the situation worsened. She alleged that after being forced to apologize, she and her friend were attacked with a metal object that left her feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Ememabasi reported the incident to the Adolf Police Station in Iba, seeking justice and protection. She fears for her safety due to threats from her landlord and his mother after involving the police.
In response, Shodipo dismissed the allegations, claiming Ememabasi struck his mother first. He stated, “The matter is in court, and we’ve been advised not to comment further until the next hearing. The accusations are false. We were wrongfully detained, and I did not assault anyone.”
Dr. Surajudeen Fatai, the acting Dean of Students' Affairs at LASU, expressed his efforts to mediate but described facing significant hostility from the landlord’s side.
