Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has raised alarm over what he describes as increasing lawlessness and disregard for human rights in Nigeria, following the demolition of his brother’s company property in Ikeja, Lagos.
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Obi, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed concern over the worsening state of the rule of law in the country, warning that no society can attract meaningful investment when citizens are subjected to impunity and injustice.
He narrated that his younger brother, who had just arrived in Lagos from Port Harcourt, was denied access to his own company premises by security personnel. To his shock, he discovered the building was being pulled down without prior notice or a clear legal basis.
“The security men told him the demolition began over the weekend. As a peace-loving Nigerian, he immediately began preparations to seek redress in court,” Obi said.
Obi said he rushed from Abuja to Lagos upon receiving the call and was also prevented from entering the property. When he demanded legal documents justifying the demolition, he was shown a court judgment issued against unnamed persons described only as “unknown” and “squatters.”
“How do you sue an unknown person and get a judgment to demolish a structure that has been standing for over 15 years?” Obi questioned, adding that no demolition order or permit was presented during the operation.
Obi said the demolition crew could not provide the identity of whoever instructed them, and efforts to trace the origin of the order yielded no result. He said the entire episode reflects the wider systemic breakdown in Nigeria.
“I stood at the scene from 10am to 2pm hoping someone would contact me after I gave out my number to the excavator operators. No one called. Two men later asked that we follow them to a police station, yet they had no demolition order,” he recounted.
Obi described the experience as a direct assault on the rights of citizens and a glaring example of why local and foreign investors are hesitant to commit to Nigeria.
“I recently spoke with someone who has investments in Ghana, Senegal, and Benin Republic but said he wouldn’t consider Nigeria. His reason? ‘Nigeria is a lawless country.’ That hit me hard,” he said.
Reflecting on his own experiences since running for president, Obi said he has endured human rights abuses and can only imagine the level of hardship regular citizens face daily.
