Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the widespread demolition of private property by government agencies across Nigeria, describing it as “willful destruction of people’s property and goods.”
In a post on his official X handle, Obi said many of these demolitions were carried out without notice, leaving victims stranded and impoverished.
He warned that such actions, coming amid Nigeria’s deepening economic hardship, show a lack of compassion from those in power.
“An administration whose policies and style have sent several million Nigerians into poverty in 29 months should show compassion for its citizens,” he wrote. “The recent demolition of citizens’ structures and the destruction of their goods and merchandise remain condemnable.”
‘These Demolitions Destroy Livelihoods’
Obi said the demolitions are worsening poverty at a time when the government should be helping people to recover from inflation, unemployment, and rising food prices.
“These demolitions destroy livelihoods, undermine businesses, and threaten the economic security of hardworking citizens,” he said. “Many of these shops contained goods worth billions of Naira, representing years of investment and toil.”
He questioned the legality of such demolitions, asking what law justifies “the destruction of private property not used for criminal purposes without prior notice or due process.”
“We must ask: are these actions genuinely in the public interest, or are they arbitrary and disproportionate exercises of power?” he added.
‘Government Should Protect, Not Punish’
The former Anambra State governor said government exists to protect citizens’ investments and dignity, not to punish them for trying to survive.
“The government must ensure that urban development and enforcement respect the rule of law and the rights of the people,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, these acts of demolition send a chilling message to entrepreneurs across the nation and beyond—that their hard work and sacrifices can be wiped away overnight.”
He urged Nigerians to speak out against what he described as “injustice disguised as urban renewal,” warning that silence could erode the foundation of social stability and economic confidence.
“If we fail to stand against such injustices, we risk undermining the very foundations of economic growth and social stability,” he said. “Every citizen has the right to build a life through honest work, and that right must never be trampled.”
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