How Did We Get Here?’ Peter Obi Cries Out Over Lagos Demolition, Says Lawlessness Need to End in Nigeria
Peter Obi, the flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, has expressed his concerns regarding the illegal demolition of his brother’s property in Lagos. In a statement shared on his official X account on Tuesday, Obi emphasized that lawlessness must end for Nigeria to prosper. “This morning, my youngest brother called me in distress, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja, Lagos, and were demolishing the building,” Obi explained. “He had just returned from Port Harcourt and was denied entry to the property by security personnel, who told him that the demolition was underway. They informed him that the destruction had begun over the weekend.
As a peace-loving Nigerian, he quickly began preparing to take legal action, unaware of the situation unfolding, as they moved swiftly to tear down his home without any restraint.”
Obi mentioned that he rushed to Lagos from Abuja after receiving the call and headed straight to the property. Upon arrival, he was confronted by security personnel who tried to prevent him from entering. Obi pleaded with them, explaining that the property belonged to his brother’s company, which had owned it for over a decade. However, they claimed to have a court judgment, which he immediately requested to see.
“You would not believe that the court judgment they referred to was issued against an unknown person and squatters. When I inquired about a demolition order or permit, there was none,” Obi said. “How do you sue an unknown person? How can a court issue a judgment in such a farcical case? No one was served, and no name was written. Yet, they showed up with excavators and began demolishing a structure that has stood for over 15 years. I asked the excavators who had sent them, but they said they didn’t know anyone; they were only instructed to come and demolish the house. I provided them with my phone number so that whoever gave the demolition order could contact me.”
The former governor of Anambra State stated that he waited at the site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., hoping for a call, but no one reached out, and the contractor claimed to have no knowledge of who had hired him. Later, two men arrived and suggested going to the police station. When Obi asked if they had a demolition order, they produced nothing, indicating a blatant display of lawlessness and impunity.
Obi lamented that Nigeria has become a lawless country, recalling a recent meeting where someone mentioned their investments in Ghana, Senegal, and the Benin Republic, stating they wouldn’t consider Nigeria despite its market potential.
When Obi questioned why, the response was striking: “Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.” “I am shocked. How did Nigeria reach this level of lawlessness? What kind of nation are we trying to create when the rights of citizens, their lives, their properties, and their voices are daily trampled upon?” Obi lamented.
He added that any society where lawlessness prevails over the rule of law cannot attract investors. Recent reports indicate that Nigeria’s human rights situation has worsened, highlighting significant failures in government protection of civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards. Obi reflected on his own experiences of human rights abuses simply because he ran for the presidency, a right he is entitled to. “I can only imagine what small business owners, regular citizens, and vulnerable communities endure every day. If this level of lawlessness can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope does the ordinary Nigerian have?”
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to a better Nigeria, where lawlessness will be a thing of the past, with protection of life and property, respect for human rights, care for the less privileged, and basic education for all children. “A new Nigeria is possible,” he stated.
