The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has raised alarm over what he described as the growing culture of lawlessness and human rights abuse in Nigeria, following the demolition of his brother’s property in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement made available to our reporter on Wednesday, Mr. Obi recounted a distressing phone call from his youngest brother, who had arrived in Lagos from Port Harcourt to find that his company’s property was being demolished without prior notice or legal documentation.
According to Obi, the security men on site claimed they had a court judgment, but the judgment presented was issued against unnamed persons and alleged squatters. No demolition order or proper notice was provided, and efforts to identify those behind the operation proved futile.
“I stood there from 10 am to 2 pm, hoping to speak with whoever ordered the demolition. Nobody came or called. The contractor claimed not to know who engaged him,” Obi said.
He described the situation as “coordinated lawlessness and impunity,” adding that it reflects a broader national decline in the rule of law, which, he warned, is deterring both local and foreign investment.
“If someone with a registered company can suffer this level of abuse, what hope does the ordinary Nigerian have?” he asked.
Obi also shared a conversation with an investor who told him he avoids Nigeria despite having a market here, simply because of the lack of legal protection.
Reiterating his commitment to building a better Nigeria, Obi called for an urgent return to the rule of law, protection of human rights, and respect for citizens’ property and dignity.
