The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Lagos State government to temper enforcement with mercy in its demolition of structures.
He said that being legally correct is not a substitute for being morally right.
This comes after he visited the site of the demolished ASPAMDA Market at the Trade Fair Complex, which he criticised and described the razing of traders’ plazas as a test of the state’s commitment to justice and human dignity.
Last week, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said Obi launched into emotional theatrics when he described the incident as “a test of impunity, justice and compassion.”
The Commissioner justified the demolition as constitutional, noting that the affected traders got ample time to regularise their papers when the state government declared a general amnesty last year, which was extended several times.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Obi warned that the law must never be wielded in a way that inflicts “undeserved pain” or destroys livelihoods when less destructive remedies exist.
Obi recalled a personal experience abroad to illustrate his point, saying governments should pursue formal legal remedies rather than waking up one morning to demolish homes or businesses.
“Those seeking to justify the current demolitions in Aspamda Market, Lagos, and similar situations across Nigeria must be reminded that the law is not an end in itself; it is a means to ensure order, peace, 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.
“Even if, for the sake of argument, some of the affected traders failed to obtain the proper approvals, which is unlikely, was demolition the only option? If opportunities for regularisation truly existed, as some have argued, 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 asked.
