Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as a lawless nation following the alleged unlawful demolition of a company building owned by his younger brother in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement shared on Tuesday via his verified Facebook account, Obi noted the growing trend of ignoring the rule of law and basic rights in the country.
He said such actions show that institutions meant to protect people’s rights are getting weaker, which could make both local and foreign investors lose interest in doing business in Nigeria.
“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.”
Obi explained that he got a call on Tuesday morning from his brother, who had just come back from Port Harcourt.
His brother informed him that some unknown people had moved into their property in Ikeja and started demolishing it without warning. When his brother tried to enter the premises, security officers stopped him, saying demolition had already begun days earlier.
“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 said when he asked to see any legal order allowing the demolition, he was told there was a court judgment. But that judgment, according to him, was made against an “unknown person” and people considered as squatters, with no clear names or details attached.
“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 also said he stood at the site for several hours, from morning till afternoon, waiting for someone in authority to show up or at least explain the reason behind the action. No one did. Even the contractor who was working on the demolition claimed he had no idea who gave the order.
“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 then shared a personal story from a conversation with a businessman in West Africa who, despite operating in the region, avoids Nigeria. The man, according to Obi, told him bluntly:
“Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.”
He asked important questions about the future of the country, stressing that no nation can grow when the government allows citizens’ rights and properties to be violated without reason.
“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.
Still, Obi ended with hope. He said he will continue to work toward a better Nigeria, one where law and order will be respected, and where everyone—especially the poor and children—will be given fair treatment and access to education.
