‘Coordinated Lawlessness’ – Peter Obi Slams Illegal Demolition of Brother’s Property in Lagos, Nigeria

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the demolition of a property belonging to his younger brother in Ikeja, Lagos, describing it as a “coordinated display of lawlessness” after. Obi made this known in a statement posted on his official X account on Tuesday, detailing events he said reflects the decay of the rule of law in Nigeria.

According to Obi, his brother returned from Port Harcourt to discover that the building, a company property owned for over a decade, had already been partially demolished over the weekend. He was denied access to the premises by security personnel, who reportedly informed him that the action was being carried out based on a court judgment. However, Obi stated that the judgment in question was issued not against his brother or his company, but against unnamed “squatters,” with no official names or parties served.

I immediately requested the judgment, and you would not believe it was issued against an unknown person. No name was written. Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor said he rushed to Lagos from Abuja upon hearing the news and waited at the site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., asking to speak to whoever authorised the demolition. No one came forward, and no demolition order or official documentation was produced.

I asked the excavators who sent them, and they said they didn’t know,” he said. “Even the contractor claimed he didn’t know who hired him.”

Obi condemned the process as a deliberate act of impunity, questioning how a court could issue a judgment against an unnamed person without notice or due process. He used the incident to highlight broader concerns about institutional failure and investor distrust in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria,” Obi said, recalling a recent conversation in which a West African investor told him he would never invest in Nigeria due to its unpredictability and weak legal protections.

“If this level of lawlessness can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope does the ordinary Nigerian have?” he asked.

Obi reaffirmed his commitment to building a just and equitable Nigeria where the rights of all citizens are protected.

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.

As of the time of this report, Lagos State authorities have not responded to the allegations, and no agency has claimed responsibility for the demolition.

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