OGUNTADE, J.S.C (Delivering the Leading Judgment): The dispute leading to this appeal arose from a landlord and tenant relationship. The respondent was the plaintiff at the Enugu High Court. It owned an estate consisting of several buildings in Enugu. It leased several of these buildings to the defendant, a foreign construction company. There were three lease agreements covering the 24 properties leased. The first agreement dated 1/11/79 covered 12 semi-detached buildings; the second dated 1/9/80 covered 6 semi-detached buildings and the third dated 1/3/80 covered six bungalow units. The estate is at Rockonoh Estate, Ekulu West Extension, G.R.A., Enugu. In respect of the buildings covered by the first agreement, the agreed rent was ₦102,000.00 per annum at ₦8,500.00 per unit. For the buildings covered by the second agreement, the agreed rent was ₦54,000.00 per annum at ₦9,000.00 per unit; and the rent for the third set of building was ₦36,000.00 per annum at ₦6,000.00 per unit.
The pl…