Lawyer, Barrister Ngu Valentine, Declines Comment as Landlord Pursues Eviction Over Alleged Rent Arrears
By Nfor Hanson Nchanji
BAMENDA, Cameroon (CNA) A Bamenda-based lawyer is facing legal action from his landlord over alleged rent arrears and failure to vacate rented premises despite the expiration of a mutually agreed deadline.
Documents seen by the Cameroon News Agency (CNA) show that Barrister Ngu Valentine was served with a court-backed notice to quit after the landlord cited irregular rent payments and plans to recover and renovate the property.
According to the current landlord, Nde Christopher, he purchased the property in 2023 and was handed right to rents collection in September 2025 when Barrister Ngu had already accumulated seven months of unpaid rent under the previous owner, CNA learned.
He alleges that no rent has been paid since the change of ownership, bringing the alleged arrears to more than 17 months.
CNA has also seen screenshots of WhatsApp exchanges between the landlord and Barrister Mbah Eric Mbah, President of the Cameroon Bar Council, in which Barrister Mbah informed the landlord that he had spoken with Barrister Ngu.
According to the exchanges, Barrister Ngu requested six months to vacate the premises as he searched for another location.
CNA has also seen correspondence indicating that both parties agreed the premises would be vacated by May 31, 2026, following the Bar Council President’s intervention. The landlord says the property has not yet been surrendered.
Contacted by CNA via WhatsApp, Barrister Ngu declined to address the allegations, saying the matter was already in the hands of justice.
“I’m responding to the course of justice that has already been engaged and see no need to address myself to your office. If you’re interested to report the case… follow up the proceedings in court until the matter is finally determined,” he wrote, adding that he need not remind CNA “of the repercussions of a libelous report.”
The matter remains before the competent authorities. CNA has reviewed court documents, correspondence and the WhatsApp exchanges referenced in this report but has not independently verified the landlord’s allegations beyond those materials seen.
No final judicial determination has yet been made on the dispute.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of repeated calls by the Cameroon Bar Council for members of the legal profession to uphold the law and maintain the highest ethical standards.
The Council has consistently urged lawyers to lead by example, respect the law and conduct themselves in a manner that preserves public confidence in the legal profession.
The new Landlord told CNA that the situation has made him wonder what other Landlords go through in the hands of some tenants who refuse to vacate their premises even after failing to meet up with rents.
