Nigeria, July 28 -- Kaduna residents have appealed to Governor Uba Sani to urgently intervene in the unprecedented surge in house rent, particularly in the Kaduna metropolis.

In separate interviews with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, residents from various parts of the city said landlords were arbitrarily increasing rents, with some tripling rates within a year, leaving many families distressed and unable to cope.

"I was paying N350,000 annually for my apartment in Unguwan Rimi. Just recently, I received a call from my landlord telling me I now have to pay N900,000," said Mubarak Aliyu, a tenant.

"We are not against landlords adjusting rent, but tripling it in a single year is unjust. There should be laws to regulate tenancy. This kind of ex...