Peter Obi Labels Nigeria Lawless After Alleged Demolition Of Brother’s Property In Lagos

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as a lawless country following the alleged illegal demolition of a property belonging to his younger brother’s company in Ikeja, Lagos.

In a strongly worded statement posted via his official Facebook page on Tuesday, Obi condemned the growing disregard for the rule of law and civil liberties in Nigeria. He warned that the country’s worsening human rights record and weak institutional protections could discourage both local and foreign investors.

“Any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors,” Obi said.
“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.”

According to Obi, he was informed by his brother on Tuesday morning that unknown individuals had moved in and begun demolishing the company’s building in Ikeja. The brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt, was reportedly blocked from accessing the property by security men who said demolition had already begun days earlier.

“I rushed to Lagos from Abuja after the call and headed straight to the site,” Obi recounted. “When I got there, security personnel initially tried to stop me from entering. I had to plead with them, explaining that the property belonged to my brother’s company and had been in his possession for over 10 years.”

When Obi asked for legal documentation authorizing the demolition, he said he was shown a court judgment reportedly issued against an “unknown person” and unnamed squatters.

“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case?” he questioned.
“No one was served. No names were written. Yet, they showed up with excavators and started destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.”

Obi said he waited at the property from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., hoping to speak with someone in authority but was met with silence.

“The contractor said he didn’t know who sent him. It was a coordinated display of impunity.”

He also referenced a conversation with a West African businessman who, despite having operations in several countries, refuses to invest in Nigeria due to lack of legal protections.

“He told me plainly: ‘Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.’”

Obi concluded with a sharp rebuke of the country’s direction, asking:

“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?”