Two tenants on Wednesday, May 15th, killed their landlord in the Japoma neighbourhood of Douala 3 subdivision. The altercation arose when the landlord confronted them early in the morning about months of unpaid rent. According to the landlord’s wife, the tenants usually left the house very early to avoid encountering her husband, prompting him to seek them out around 4 am, accompanied by his son.
Romaine Pietà , the landlord’s wife, recounted to Equinox:
“Today around 3 to 4 am, some tenants go out too early so that the landlord doesn’t bump into them. My husband said that today he has to get up very early to corner them, which he did and it turned out this way.”
When the landlord demanded the overdue rent, a violent confrontation ensued, leading to his death.
Mr. François, a neighbor, described the harrowing scene:
“I was lying down when I heard the child screaming for help, saying ‘they are killing my father.’ Suddenly, when I got out, I found a neighbor lying down.”
Pietà Louis Marie, 50, was with his son, who attempted to defend him but was unsuccessful. The son recounted the event:
“He was walking towards the door when the other tenant came and pushed him against the wall. I ran and pushed the tenant too, who fell. The tenant grabbed me by my neck while the second tenant was fighting my dad. When I managed to break free, I took a stone and aimed at the other tenant, who then took a slat and began hitting my father. That’s when my dad lay lifeless.”
The tenants involved have been apprehended by law enforcement authorities.
