Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned the recent demolitions at the Aspamda Market in Lagos, describing the action as “a painful reflection of how law can be applied without justice or compassion.”
In a detailed statement titled “Lagos Demolitions: Law, Justice, and Compassion,” Obi said the exercise has raised serious moral questions about governance and the treatment of ordinary Nigerians.
“A week ago, I joined a team of concerned leaders to visit the demolished Aspamda Market in Lagos. Since then, I have followed the reactions trailing the demolitions and our visit, and it is clear that extraneous factors are eroding our compassion for one another as Nigerians,” Obi stated.
He said the situation calls for “deep reflection on the relationship between law, justice, and compassion in governance.”
Recalling a personal experience from his time in the United Kingdom, Obi narrated how he once dealt with an issue involving squatters in a property he bought at 66 Donnington Road, NW10, in the 1990s.
“While the building was still being refurbished, some squatters moved in. When I consulted my lawyer, he advised that I should write to them formally and approach the court. It would have been unthinkable for the state to simply wake up one morning and demolish people’s houses — especially when such houses were neither used for crime nor taken for any overriding public purpose,” Obi explained.
The former governor argued that those defending the demolitions at Aspamda and elsewhere must understand that “the law is not an end in itself, but a means to ensure peace, order, and the protection of human dignity.”
“When the law becomes an instrument to inflict undeserved pain — enforced without compassion or regard for human welfare — it ceases to serve justice,” he warned.
Obi questioned the necessity of the demolitions, even if, hypothetically, some of the affected traders lacked proper documentation.
“Even if, for the sake of argument, some of the traders failed to obtain proper approvals — which is unlikely — was demolition the only option? If opportunities for regularisation truly existed, why were they not pursued? Does it truly serve justice to destroy billions of naira worth of investments and livelihoods when less destructive remedies could have sufficed?” he queried.
He likened the demolitions to a form of punishment grossly disproportionate to any alleged offence.
“It is like punishing a man who stole a bicycle with death instead of imprisonment. That is what these demolitions represent — a punishment that far outweighs any supposed infraction,” Obi said.
The former presidential candidate emphasized that governance must always balance law with empathy and humanity.
“A government should not pride itself on being legally correct if, in the process, it becomes morally wrong. Justice, to be truly just, must be tempered with mercy,” he said.
Obi concluded by describing the Lagos demolitions as a test of Nigeria’s collective humanity and leadership values.
“These demolitions are a test of our compassion and sense of justice. Power must always be exercised with empathy — because it is in how we treat the vulnerable that the true character of leadership is revealed,” Obi said.
