Peter Obi: those who demolished my brother’s property in Lagos did not have an order or demolition permit (see pix)

Any society in which illegality overrated by the rule of law is not destined to be a paradise for investors. Recent reports showing that Nigeria’s human rights indicators have simply worsened serious deficiencies in the protection of the government for civil freedoms, personal security and basic living standards.

I know what I spent as a person in the abuse of my human rights just because I contested a presidential election that I have the legitimate rights to do. So I imagine which small entrepreneurs, regular citizens and vulnerable communities face every day. If this level of illegality can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope does the Nigerian normal have?

This morning, my youngest brother frantically called me, informing me that a group of people had invaded his ownership of his company to Ikeja, Lagos, and was demolished the building. He had just arrived from Port Harcourt and had been denied entry to property by security men who told him that the building was shot down. They even informed him that this demolition had started during the weekend. As a Nigerian lover of peace, he quickly began to elaborate to go immediately to court, not knowing what he had to have a result, while moving quickly to destroy his home without any moderation.

I rushed to Lagos from Abuja after the call this morning and went directly to the property. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by security people who tried to prevent me from entering the property. I humbly begged that the property belonged to my brother’s company and, from the registers, the company had owned the property for over a decade. They told me they had a court sentence and I immediately requested it. You would not believe that the sentence of the court that support was issued against an unknown person and the occupants. I went beyond asking for an order or a demolition permit, and there was none.

How do you suck an unknown person? How does a court emits a sentence in such a farce of a case? Nobody has been served. No name has been written. Yet they showed up with excavators and started destroying a structure that had remained for over 15 years.

I immediately asked the excavators the person who sent them and said they did not know anyone, but they were only informed of coming and demolishing the house. I immediately told them to tell who I would like to talk to them, if they can call my number, which I shared with the excavators, so that they can talk to anyone who gave them the order to demolish the property.
I stayed there from 10 to 14, waiting to receive at least one call and nobody called or arrived. The contractor even said he didn’t 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 an order of demolition but they had nothing. The entire situation screamed of coordinated illegality and impunity. Our country has become lawless.

I just started remembering how just during the weekend, I had a meeting when someone told me how he has investments in Ghana, Senegal and Repubblica Benin, but he will not touch Nigeria despite his market is here. I asked him why. His response has been perforated: “Nigeria is a country without law. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria”.

I am just shocked. How did Nigeria come to this level of illegality?
What kind of country are we trying to build when the rights of citizens, their lives, their properties and voices are trampled daily?

I remain engaged in a better Nigeria in which illegality will be a memory of the past, the protection of life and property, respect for human rights, cure for less privileged and basic education for all children.

A new Nigeria is possible. -Bit