Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has alleged that a building owned by his younger brother was unlawfully demolished in Lagos.
He revealed the development on Tuesday through a post shared on his official X account, explaining that the structure—owned by his brother’s company—had been standing for over 15 years before being torn down.
According to Obi, the demolition was carried out by unidentified individuals relying on a questionable court ruling that neither named his brother nor referred to the property in question, and which lacked any mention of demolition.
He said, “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.
“He had just come in from Port Harcourt and was denied entry to the property by security men who told him the building was being pulled down.”
Obi stated that he flew from Abuja to Lagos to personally assess the situation.
Upon arrival, he was reportedly denied access to the premises and was informed that the demolition was allegedly based on a court directive.
However, Obi said the judgment shown to them was vague, addressed only to unidentified occupants, and lacked any official demolition mandate.
“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.
“Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years,” he said.
The incident has sparked renewed debate around the issue of arbitrary demolitions and the lack of transparency by state operatives or private agents.
Obi characterised the situation as “coordinated lawlessness,” expressing concern over Nigeria’s worsening state of impunity.
“I stood there from 10 am to 2 pm, waiting to get a call from whoever ordered the demolition. Nobody came. The contractor didn’t even know who sent him.
“Two men later came and said they would like us to go to a police station. I asked if they even had a demolition order but they had nothing. The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness and impunity. Our country has become lawless,” he said.
He further used the episode to highlight the impact of such lawlessness on investor confidence in Nigeria, citing a recent conversation with a potential investor who decided not to do business in the country because of similar concerns.
Obi added, “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?”
He reaffirmed his dedication to helping build a “New Nigeria” where rule of law and protection of rights would be guaranteed.
As at the time of reporting, no official statement had been released by any government authority to explain the demolition, and no agency had taken responsibility.
Obi, however, pledged to seek legal recourse.
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