The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has condemned the demolition of his younger brother’s property in Ikeja, Lagos, describing it as “illegal” and carried out without a court order or official permit.
Obi, who disclosed via his official X handle on Tuesday, decried the growing wave of “coordinated lawlessness” in the country, warning that such disregard for the rule of law threatens citizen rights and investor confidence.
“This morning, my youngest brother called me frantically, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja, Lagos, and were demolishing the building.
“If this level of lawlessness can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope does the ordinary Nigerian have?” he asked.
Narrating the incident, Obi said his brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt, was barred by security men from accessing his company’s property, only to discover that it was already being demolished.
According to him, the demolition had commenced over the weekend without notice. Obi said he immediately travelled to Lagos from Abuja after receiving a distressed call from his brother.
“On arrival, I was met by security people who tried to bar me from entering the property. I humbly pleaded with them that the property belonged to my brother’s company, and from the records, the company had owned the property for over a decade. They told me they had a court judgement, and I immediately requested it,” the politician wrote.
However, Obi said the court judgement presented was issued against “an unknown person and squatters,” with no proper identification or legal service. He further stated that there was no demolition order or permit on site.
“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgement in such a farce of a case?” he asked. “Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.”
The former Anambra State governor said the contractor on site could not provide the identity of who authorised the demolition.
“I stood there from 10 am to 2 pm waiting for a call, but nobody came,” he said, noting that even the excavator operator and contractor feigned ignorance.
The politician described the entire episode as a glaring example of impunity, stressing, “The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness. Our country has become lawless.”
He linked the incident to his broader concerns about Nigeria’s deteriorating human rights and legal environment.
“Any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors,” he warned. “Recent reports showing that Nigeria’s human rights indicators have worsened merely highlight severe shortfalls in government protection for civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards.”
Reflecting on a recent conversation with a potential investor, Obi recalled being told, “I just started reminiscing about how just over the weekend, I had a meeting when someone told me how he has investments in Ghana, Senegal, and the Benin Republic but won’t touch Nigeria despite his market being here.
“I asked him why. His answer was piercing: Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.”
His comments come amid recent waves of property demolitions in parts of Lagos and other states, some of which have sparked public outcry and legal disputes.
