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Residents of Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, are sounding the alarm over escalating housing costs that they say are pushing rental accommodation beyond the reach of many ordinary citizens.
In a report published by BENUE info-pedia on February 12, 2026, tenants highlighted a combination of sharp rent increases and additional exploitative charges imposed by landlords and estate agents. One resident, Civir Terhemba Injo Jabi, spoke directly to the platform, describing practices that have made securing and maintaining housing increasingly burdensome.
According to Jabi, landlords in the city have not only hiked rents significantly but are also compelling tenants to engage the services of the landlords’ personal family lawyers—thereby adding substantial legal fees to already inflated rental agreements. Estate agents, he added, routinely demand 10% commission fees on top of separate inspection charges, further inflating the overall cost of renting a home.
“Housing is a necessity, not a privilege,” Jabi emphasized. “These exploitative practices must be regulated.” He appealed directly to relevant authorities, including state and local government officials, to step in with measures that protect tenants from what he described as unchecked profiteering and unfair contractual demands.
The complaints reflect broader frustrations among Makurdi residents, particularly civil servants, traders, students, and low-to-middle-income earners who form the bulk of the city’s tenant population. Many report that annual rent renewals now come with demands far exceeding previous years, often without corresponding improvements in housing quality, amenities, or infrastructure such as water supply, electricity, or access roads.
The situation is compounded by the limited supply of decent, affordable housing in the rapidly growing capital, where population influx from rural areas and neighboring states continues to exert pressure on the real estate market. Tenants argue that the absence of strong regulatory oversight allows landlords and agents to impose arbitrary fees and conditions with little recourse for renters.
Calls for intervention have grown louder in recent months, with some residents advocating for the enforcement of existing tenancy laws, introduction of rent control measures, or the establishment of a dedicated tenants’ rights commission to mediate disputes and curb exploitative practices.
As housing remains a critical livelihood issue in urban Benue, the outcry from Makurdi tenants underscores the urgent need for policy attention to ensure shelter remains accessible and equitable rather than a source of financial strain for the working population. No immediate official response from government agencies or landlord associations had been reported at the time of this publication.
