… Says court judgment cited did not authorise action
LAGOS — Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, has raised alarm over the demolition of a property belonging to his younger brother in Lagos, alleging that the action was carried out without a valid court order.
In a post shared on his verified X handle, Obi said the property, located in Ikeja and owned by his brother’s company, had stood for over 15 years before it was pulled down by unknown agents acting under what he described as a vague and dubious legal pretext.
“This morning, my youngest brother called me frantically, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja and were demolishing the building,” Obi said.
The former Anambra governor stated that when his brother arrived at the scene from Port Harcourt, he was barred from entering the premises by security operatives, who claimed the demolition was being executed based on a court order.
However, Obi argued that the referenced judgment was not directed at his brother or the property and did not contain any demolition authorisation.
“How do you sue an unknown person and get a judgment that leads to demolishing someone’s property?” he queried.
“No one was served. No names were written. Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.”
He described the incident as “coordinated lawlessness” and accused the unidentified agents of carrying out the demolition without accountability or legal backing.
Obi said he stood at the site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., waiting for an explanation that never came. “No official showed up. The contractor didn’t know who sent him. Two men later asked us to go to a police station, but they had no order or authorisation,” he lamented.
The former governor used the opportunity to highlight the dangers such impunity poses for investment in Nigeria, recounting a recent conversation with a foreign investor who chose to avoid Nigeria because of its “lawless” reputation.
“This isn’t about me or my brother. If this can happen to someone with legitimate property documents, what hope is there for the average Nigerian?” he said.
As of press time, no government agency had claimed responsibility for the demolition, and no explanation had been provided.
