The Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has cried out that a building belonging to his younger brother’s company was unlawfully demolished in Ikeja, Lagos State, by unidentified individuals acting without proper legal authority.
Obi disclosed this on Tuesday via a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating that the structure, which had stood for over 15 years, was pulled down based on what he described as a vague court judgment that neither named his brother nor included any demolition order.
He said the demolition occurred without prior notice or due legal process, raising serious concerns about what he called the growing trend of “coordinated lawlessness” and impunity in Nigeria.
“This morning, my youngest brother called me frantically, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja, Lagos, and were demolishing the building,” Obi wrote.
He explained that his brother, who had just arrived from Port Harcourt, was denied access to the site by security operatives guarding the premises.
Upon hearing the news, Obi said he flew into Lagos from Abuja and went to the location, only to be denied entry as well.
Obi said he was informed that the demolition was being executed based on a court judgment. However, upon inspection, he found that the judgment did not name any specific individual or authorize the demolition.
“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case? No one was served. No name was written,” he queried.
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He added that “yet, they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.”
Obi stated that he waited at the site from 10 am to 2 pm, expecting an explanation or the arrival of the contractor’s superior, but no one showed up.
Two men who later approached him reportedly suggested going to a police station but were unable to provide any demolition order or supporting documents.
“The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness and impunity. Our country has become lawless,” he lamented.
Obi linked the incident to the broader issue of Nigeria’s worsening business environment.
He recounted a recent conversation with a potential investor who decided against investing in Nigeria, citing lawlessness and a lack of property rights protection.
“This is not about me or my brother, it’s about what ordinary Nigerians go through every day. If this can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate ownership, what hope does the average citizen have?” Obi asked.
He reiterated his commitment to building a new Nigeria “where lawlessness will be a thing of the past, and protection of life, property, and civil rights is guaranteed.”