The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned what he described as “coordinated lawlessness and impunity” after the property of his youngest brother was allegedly demolished in Ikeja, Lagos, without any court order or proper legal process.
In a post on X Tuesday night, Obi narrated how he was alerted by his brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt to discover that the company property, which had been owned for over a decade, was being demolished by unknown persons.
Security men reportedly denied him access to the premises, claiming demolition activities had already begun over the weekend.
Obi said he rushed from Abuja to Lagos and the security operatives also tried to deny him entry at the site.
Upon demanding to see the legal basis for the action, he was shown a court judgment allegedly issued against “unknown persons” and unnamed squatters, without any demolition order or official permit.
“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case? No one was served. No name was written. Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor expressed disbelief that neither the security men present nor the contractor executing the demolition could identify the person or agency that ordered the action.
Despite waiting on-site for hours and offering his contact information, no official explanation was provided.
Obi said the incident was reflection of a wider problem facing the country—rampant disregard for the rule of law and the erosion of citizens’ rights.
“The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness and impunity. Our country has become lawless,” he lamented.
He recalled a recent conversation with an investor who, despite Nigeria being his biggest market, refused to put money into the country due to concerns about its legal environment.
“Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria,” Obi quoted the investor as saying.
Obi, who has been a vocal advocate for governance reforms, reiterated his commitment to building a country where the rights of citizens are respected and protected.
“I remain committed to a better Nigeria where lawlessness will be a thing of the past, protection of life and property, respect for human rights, care for the less privileged, and basic education for all children,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Government has not yet issued any official statement regarding the incident.
