Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the Nigerian government, describing the country as “lawless” following the reported illegal demolition of a company-owned property belonging to his younger brother in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement released on Tuesday via his official Facebook page, Obi expressed deep concern over what he called the country’s growing disregard for the rule of law and civil liberties. He warned that such developments were damaging to Nigeria’s global image and could discourage both local and foreign investment.
> “Any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors,” Obi stated.
Obi referenced recent global reports which highlight the decline of Nigeria’s human rights indicators, suggesting that the government is failing in its responsibility to protect civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards.
The 2023 presidential hopeful recounted a troubling incident in which he was alerted by his brother on Tuesday morning that unknown individuals had invaded and begun demolishing a property owned by his company in Lagos. According to Obi, his brother had just returned from Port Harcourt and was shocked to discover the demolition in progress. He was reportedly denied access to the premises by security personnel, who informed him that the demolition had begun 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.”
Obi further revealed that when he demanded to see the legal documentation backing the demolition, the security officers presented a court judgment allegedly issued against “unknown persons” and “squatters,” with no specific names or parties served in the legal process.
> “How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case?” Obi questioned. “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.”
The former governor of Anambra State said he stayed at the site from 10am to 2pm, seeking to identify the authorities behind the demolition but was met with silence. The contractor present on-site reportedly claimed he didn’t even know who ordered the action.
> “It was a coordinated display of impunity,” Obi remarked, describing the experience as both shocking and revealing of Nigeria’s systemic failures.
He also shared a personal conversation with a West African businessman who refuses to invest in Nigeria due to its poor legal protections.
> “He told me plainly: ‘Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria,’” Obi recounted.
The statement ended with Obi questioning the country’s direction and the treatment of its citizens.
> “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?”
Peter Obi’s remarks have added to the growing concerns over state-sanctioned demolitions and the rule of law in Nigeria.
