Abuja Tenant Ordered to Pay ₦600,000 and Vacate After Alleged Missed Hearing: What Can I Do?

I live in Nyanya, Abuja. My landlord took me to the Magistrate Court, claiming that my rent expired on 31 May 2025. I believe this is false because I paid my rent last year, and my tenancy ran until 30 June this year. The court did not sit from January to March because of renovations. I attended a hearing in April, but my landlord’s lawyer was absent. The registry told me to wait for another hearing notice from the lawyer. Later, the registry called and said the landlord’s lawyer had filed final written submissions and that I had failed to attend a hearing because a notice had allegedly been pasted on my door. On 8 May, I told the judge that I had never been heard and had not seen any notice. The court showed me a photograph said to prove that the notice was pasted on my door. I explained that it may have been removed before I returned from work. The judge rejected my explanation and warned that I could be sent to jail for lying. Today, the court ordered me to pay my landlord more than ₦600,000 and vacate the apartment by 10 August. I have rent receipts showing payment up to 30 June, but the judge did not consider my defence. Is this proper procedure, and what legal steps can I take to challenge the judgment?

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