Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has decried the state of lawlessness in Nigeria after his younger brother’s property was allegedly demolished in Ikeja, Lagos without any legal order.
In a statement shared via Facebook on Tuesday, Obi narrated how his brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt, arrived at the company’s premises in Lagos only to find that demolition had begun.
He said he was denied access by security personnel who claimed they were acting on a court judgment.
Obi said he rushed from Abuja to Lagos after receiving a distressed call and was shocked by what he met.
According to him, the demolition team claimed to be acting on a judgment against “unknown persons and squatters”—despite the property being owned by a registered company for over a decade.
“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case?” Obi queried.
“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 added.
Obi further disclosed that no demolition order or permit was presented on-site, and the contractors could not identify who sent them.
He said he waited at the location from 10 am to 2 pm, hoping someone would call him back after he left his number with the crew — but no one did.
“Two men later came and said we should go to a police station, yet they had no order backing their actions. The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness and impunity,” he added.
Obi said the incident mirrors what ordinary Nigerians face daily and explains why investors are avoiding Nigeria.
He stated: “I had a meeting just over the weekend where someone told me he has investments in Ghana, Senegal, and Benin Republic but won’t touch Nigeria. His reason was clear: ‘Nigeria is a lawless country.
“If this level of lawlessness can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope does the ordinary Nigerian have?”
Obi said the worsening human rights environment in Nigeria is not just a personal concern but a national emergency, adding that “any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors.”
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to building a Nigeria where human rights are respected, law and order are upheld, and justice is not selective.
“I remain committed to a better Nigeria where lawlessness will be a thing of the past, protection of life and property, respect for human rights, care for the less privileged, and basic education for all children,” he said.
