Demolition: Lagos Govt defends self from allegation Obi didn’t make

The Lagos State Government has reacted to an allegation that was never levelled against it by former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Obi had on June 24 in a statement published via his X handle said that his brother’s property was demolished by a group of people who invaded the premises in the Ikeja GRA area of Lagos State.

The former Anambra State governor said on arrival at the site of the demolition, he was met by security people who tried to bar him from entering the property.

Obi said: “I humbly pleaded with them that the property belonged to my brother’s company, and from the records, the company had owned the property for over a decade. They told me they had a court judgment, and I immediately requested it. You would not believe that the court judgment they claim was issued against an unknown person, and squatters. I went further to ask about a demolition order or permit, and there was none. 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.”

Curiously, the Lagos State Government reacted to Obi’s statement, accusing the former presidential candidate of falsely accusing it of carrying out the demolition.

A statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho reads: “The Lagos State Government is compelled to address the recent allegations made by Mr. Peter Obi regarding the demolition of a property belonging to his brother. We wish to categorically state that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) or any other arm of the Lagos State Government did not carry out the said demolition.

“Dr. Olajide Abiodun Babatunde, Special Adviser, eGIS & Urban Development, who supervises LASBCA, has confirmed that the agency was not involved in the demolition. We find it disturbing that Mr. Peter Obi would make such allegations without verifying the facts.”

The statement added: “We urge the public to disregard Mr. Peter Obi’s claims and rest assured that the Lagos State Government will continue to work tirelessly to maintain law and order in our great state. We will not be swayed by baseless allegations or attempts to discredit our efforts.”

Reacting to the Lagos government response to the non-existent allegation, human rights crusader, Aisha Yesufu, said the state government has through the statement it put out out, showed its hand.

She said: “I just had to read this statement again to find out in which paragraph Mr Peter Obi @PeterObi mentioned Lagos State Government or the Lagos State Building Control Agency. I couldn’t find any! The Lagos State Government @followlasg just showed its hand by the statement it put out.”