A brawl erupted after a tenant, identified as Benard Moses, and a caretaker exchanged heavy blows over outstanding house rent in the Lambata community of the Kwali Area Council in the FCT.

According to a neighbour, Benjamin Auta, the altercation ensued on Monday night after the caretaker used an extra padlock to lock the tenant’s room.

Auta said the tenant had been directed to evacuate his property from the house for failing to pay the balance of the rent.

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He said upon returning from work, the tenant discovered his room has been locked with an extra padlock.

The neighbour further explained that the tenant then proceeded to meet the caretaker at his residence within the community and challenged him for using the extra lock.

“I was inside my room when I heard them shouting loudly at each other. And before I realized what was happening, a fight broke out between them,” Auta said.

According to Auta, the caretaker had previously issued a quit notice to the tenant to evacuate his property for failing to pay the six months’ remaining balance, which prompted the caretaker to lock the room.

He said the fight stopped only after the intervention of some neighbours who alerted the vigilantes.

The vigilantes arrived at the compound to separate the two men, Auta added.

According to Auta, “The caretaker later told the vigilantes who came to intervene that the tenant was owing him a six-month balance and had refused to pay, which he said angered him and led him to lock the room.”  A member of the vigilante group, simply identified as Yakubu, said the matter has been reported to the police.

A police source at the Kwali division confirmed the incident, stating that the matter is currently being investigated.