A pastor from Ebonyi State, Ifeanyichukwu Eluu, has shared a troubling encounter while trying to secure accommodation in Anambra State, alleging that his rent was refunded after the landlord discovered he was from Ebonyi.
The clergyman took to social media to narrate the incident, which has since drawn widespread attention and sparked conversations about intra-ethnic bias in the Southeast.
According to Pastor Eluu, he had paid the full rent for an apartment and was set to move in after signing the necessary agreement. However, the situation took an unexpected turn.
“I paid the complete rent for an apartment through the caretaker and planned to move in after signing the tenancy agreement the next day,” he wrote.“Due to an extended hotel stay, we urgently needed to relocate. After notifying the caretaker, we purchased essential items and moved into the apartment that same evening.”
Later that night, the pastor said he received an alert indicating a refund of the exact amount he had paid.
“At about midnight, I got a credit alert. When I called the caretaker, he told me the landlord returned the money after learning we were from Ebonyi State — specifically Abakaliki,” he said.
The pastor expressed deep disappointment over the incident, calling it a painful example of discrimination.
“I was shocked and embarrassed. I couldn’t believe that being from Ebonyi would become a reason to reject a tenant. We are all Igbo people.”
He further revealed that at another apartment he eventually secured, the landlord only agreed to rent the space after being told he was from Afikpo, a town often associated with Abia State.
“The landlord said, ‘I know Afikpo. They’re partly in Abia. I can consider you.’ That’s how we got the house. But it didn’t sit well with me that I had to rely on regional assumptions to find a place to stay.”
Pastor Eluu ended his message with a strong appeal for unity among Igbos: “Let us live the truth of the saying: ‘Igbo bu ofu’ — the Igbo are one.”
The story has stirred debate online, with many social media users condemning the alleged act and calling for greater harmony among people of southeastern Nigeria.
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