Nduka Obaigbena, owner of Arise TV and GHL oil tycoon, is being sued by Qwick Properties at the FCT High Court for allegedly owing over N50 million in rent on two Abuja duplexes since December 2022
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rominent media mogul and oil tycoon, Nduka Obaigbena, who owns Arise TV and GHL, has been dragged to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court by Messrs Qwick Properties over claims of outstanding rent exceeding N50 million.
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Court filings seen by Peoples Gazette indicate the dispute centres on two semi-detached duplexes in Maitama, Abuja.
According to Qwick Properties, Mr. Obaigbena has allegedly failed to pay rent on the properties since December 2022, with the arrears accumulating significantly.
The duplexes, identified as Houses A & B at 8, Yobe Close Off Yedestram Street, Maitama, Abuja, were initially leased to Mr. Obaigbena in January 2016.
The property manager claims that while payments were prompt until 2022, they became “very irregular” from December 31, 2022, onwards.
The property manager asserts that Mr. Obaigbena has disregarded numerous notices to pay the rent and vacate the premises, leading to the current legal action.
The annual rent for both properties was reviewed in January 2024, increasing from N16 million to N25 million per duplex, bringing the combined yearly total to N50 million.
The agents also offered Mr. Obaigbena the option to occupy only one duplex for N30 million annually, or both at a discounted rate of N50 million.
However, Mr. Obaigbena reportedly did not respond but continued to occupy both properties.
That since 31 December 2022, his payment of rent has been very irregular,” Qwick Properties stated in its court filings, outlining the basis for the lawsuit.
As of June 2024, the outstanding sum owed was approximately N50 million, considering that his last rent payment expired in December 2022.
A letter from Niran Adetunji & Co, lawyers representing Qwick Properties, to Mr. Obaigbena explicitly stated, “We have been briefed that you are in arrears of the rent to the tune of N49,500,000 only,” requesting payment into a specified Access Bank account. Despite this, no payment was reportedly made.
The persistent disregard for notices to quit and the refusal to pay while continuing to occupy the properties compelled the agents to seek legal redress.
Qwick Properties argued that Mr. Obaigbena could not continue to hold the properties “to ransom” and place his landlord in a “financial tight corner,” adding that he had “lost the respect and trust that the landlord had for a man of his calibre.”
Beyond seeking an order for eviction, Qwick Properties is also demanding a profit of N2 million and N84,000 for every month Mr. Obaigbena continues to occupy the properties from July 2024 for House B and January 2025 for House A, until he finally vacates.
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While Mr. Obaigbena has not publicly commented on the matter, he has filed a Memorandum of Conditional Appearance at the FCT High Court on May 19.
