Nigeria Has Become a Lawless Country – Peter Obi Laments After Brother’s Property Demolished in Lagos
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| Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi |
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned what he called Nigeria’s deepening descent into lawlessness, following the alleged illegal demolition of a company property owned by his younger brother in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement posted Tuesday on his official Facebook page, Obi expressed deep concern over the growing disregard for the rule of law and civil liberties in the country. He warned that Nigeria’s worsening human rights record and fragile institutional safeguards could scare off both local and international investors.
“In any society where lawlessness supersedes the rule of law, investment will never thrive,” Obi wrote. “Recent reports showing a decline in Nigeria’s human rights indicators simply underscore the serious failure of government to protect civil freedoms, personal safety, and basic standards of living.”
The 2023 presidential contender explained that he was alerted on Tuesday morning by his younger brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt, that unknown individuals had stormed a property belonging to his company in Ikeja and had already begun demolition work. According to Obi, security personnel on-site denied his brother access to the premises, stating that the demolition began over the weekend.
“I rushed down to Lagos from Abuja as soon as I received the call and went directly to the property,” Obi recounted. “When I arrived, I was confronted by security officers who tried to stop me from entering. I pleaded with them, explaining that the property had belonged to my brother’s company for over ten years.”
Obi said that when he asked to see the legal documentation authorizing the demolition, he was told there was a court judgment—but it had been issued against an "unknown person" and unnamed squatters, with no clear defendant or formal service.
“How does one sue an ‘unknown person’? How does a court pass judgment in such a sham case?” Obi asked. “There was no legal notice, no names, no due process. Yet they brought in excavators and began tearing down a building that had stood for more than 15 years.”
He went on to describe his efforts to speak with the contractor or the authorities behind the demolition, all of which were unsuccessful. “I stood at the site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., waiting for someone to call or show up. No one did. The contractor even told me he didn’t know who sent him. It was a coordinated act of impunity,” he added.
Obi also recalled a recent conversation with a businessman who operates across West Africa but avoids investing in Nigeria. “He told me bluntly: ‘Nigeria is a lawless country. Until you have laws that protect people, there’s no way I’m investing in Nigeria.’”
The former governor of Anambra State questioned the nation’s trajectory in light of such events. “What kind of country are we building if the rights, lives, properties, and voices of citizens can be trampled on so easily, day after day?” he asked.
Despite the experience, Obi reiterated his commitment to building a better Nigeria. “I remain resolute in my vision for a new Nigeria—one where lawlessness becomes a thing of the past, where life and property are protected, human rights are respected, the vulnerable are cared for, and every child has access to quality education,” he concluded.
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