LAGOS — Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly criticised what he described as Nigeria’s increasing descent into lawlessness, following the alleged demolition of a company property belonging to his younger brother in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement posted to his official Facebook page on Tuesday, Obi recounted how he was alerted by his brother early that morning about an ongoing demolition of the property, which he said had been legally owned and occupied for over 15 years.
He described the act as a “coordinated display of impunity” and warned that the persistent disregard for rule of law in Nigeria could drive investors away.
“Any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors,” Obi said, referencing recent reports that Nigeria’s human rights indicators had worsened. “They highlight severe shortfalls in government protection for civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards.”
According to Obi, his brother had returned from Port Harcourt only to find the property under demolition and was denied access by security operatives on site. Obi said he rushed from Abuja to Lagos and was similarly prevented from entering the premises initially.
“When I got there, the security men tried to bar me,” Obi explained. “I pleaded with them, explaining that the property belonged to my brother’s company and had been in his possession for over a decade.”
He said he asked to see the court order authorising the demolition, only to be shown what he described as a questionable judgment against “an unknown person and squatters.”
The former Anambra State governor questioned the legality of the ruling, stating: “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.”
Obi added that no official was present at the site to provide clarification and that the contractor on site claimed ignorance of who had ordered the demolition. “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,” he said.
Highlighting the broader implications of the incident, Obi recalled a recent conversation with a West African businessman who reportedly refuses to invest in Nigeria due to concerns about legal insecurity. “He told me plainly: ‘Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest here.’”
Obi used the incident to question the nation’s direction, voicing concern about the erosion of citizens’ rights and the apparent breakdown of institutional accountability. “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?” he asked.
As of Tuesday evening, Lagos State authorities had not issued any public comment on the incident. It remains unclear which agency, if any, authorised the demolition.
