Peter Obi in update confirms no court order issued to demolish brother’s company property in Lagos

Peter Obi in update confirms no court order issued, laments Nigeria’s descent into impunity

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

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“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 ….

“I stood there from 10am to 2pm, 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.

“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? – Peter Obi.

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Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) has updated the public on the demolition of his younger brother’s company property in Ikeja, Lagos, saying it was done without any court order as initially claimed by the land grabbers.

He alleged that the demolition of the property built in 2010 was carried out by unidentified persons acting on a vague court judgment that does not mention his brother, the property, or contain any demolition order.

“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,” Obi posted on his X handle.

“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 said he flew in from Abuja to witness the scene firsthand and was initially barred from entering the premises then told that the demolition was being carried out pursuant to a court order.

He disclosed that the supposed court judgment was addressed to unnamed squatters and did not include any demolition order or authorising documentation.

“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.”

The incident underscores growing concern over arbitrary actions and a lack of accountability by state actors and private enforcers.

Obi described the episode as “coordinated lawlessness” and descent into a state of impunity.

“I stood there from 10am to 2pm, 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.”

Obi reflected on the broader implications for business and investment in Nigeria, citing a recent conversation with an investor who shunned the country due to its “lawless” reputation.

“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 reiterated his commitment to building a new Nigeria “where lawlessness will be a thing of the past, and protection of life, property, and civil rights are guaranteed.”

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