Lagos demolition: Nigeria is a lawless country – Peter Obi

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as a lawless country following the alleged illegal demolition of his younger brother’s company property in Ikeja, Lagos.

In a statement released on Tuesday via his official Facebook page, Obi decried the increasing disregard for rule of law and civil rights in the country, warning that Nigeria’s deteriorating human rights indicators and weak institutional protection could deter both local and foreign investments.

“Any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors,” Obi stated. “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.”

The 2023 presidential candidate recounted how he was alerted on Tuesday morning by his younger brother that a group of unknown individuals had invaded and commenced the demolition of a company-owned property in Ikeja. The brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt, was reportedly denied access to the building by security men on site, who told him that demolition had already started over the weekend.

“I rushed to Lagos from Abuja after the call this morning and headed straight to the property,” Obi said. “On arrival, I was met by security people who tried to bar me from entering. I pleaded with them, explaining the property belonged to my brother’s company and had been in his possession for over a decade.”

According to Obi, when he requested to see the legal backing for the demolition, the security personnel claimed a court judgment existed—but it was reportedly issued against an “unknown person” and squatters, with no identifiable defendant or name served.

“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case?” Obi asked. “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.”

He further explained that he tried to speak with the contractor or authorities behind the demolition, but was met with silence and confusion. “I stood there from 10am to 2pm, waiting for someone to call. Nobody did. The contractor even said he didn’t know who sent him. It was a coordinated display of impunity,” he said.

Obi also reflected on a recent conversation with a businessman who operates across West Africa but refuses to invest in Nigeria. “He told me plainly: ‘Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.’”

The former Anambra State governor questioned the direction the country is heading, saying: “What kind of country are we trying to build when the rights of citizens, their lives, their properties, and their voices are trampled upon daily?”

Despite the ordeal, Obi reaffirmed his vision for a new Nigeria. “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.