Peter Obi is calling on the Lagos State government to show compassion in its ongoing demolition exercise at the Trade Fair Complex, where several plazas, including the ASPAMDA Market, were recently brought down.
During his visit to the site, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate expressed concern over what he described as the harshness of the operation, stressing that governance should uphold justice and human dignity. He noted that while enforcing the law is necessary, it must never come at the expense of human lives and livelihoods.
Sharing a personal experience from his time in the United Kingdom, Obi recalled how he had to follow due process to reclaim one of his properties from squatters. He said it would have been unimaginable for authorities there to demolish homes or displace people overnight without recourse to human rights. According to him, the law should not be used as a weapon to inflict pain but as a tool to promote fairness and protect the weak.
He likened the scale of the demolitions to a punishment far beyond the offense, saying that destroying investments worth billions of naira over documentation issues was unjust and counterproductive. “Governance must always balance law with compassion,” Obi stated. “It is not enough for a government to be legally right if, in the process, it becomes morally wrong.”
He urged the Lagos authorities to approach enforcement with empathy, warning that the true test of leadership lies in how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.
Reacting to Obi’s remarks, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, dismissed his comments as emotional dramatics. He maintained that the demolitions were lawful and that affected traders had been given multiple extensions to regularize their property documents during a general amnesty declared last year.
Despite the government’s defense, Obi’s message of compassion continues to resonate among many who believe that justice should always be tempered with mercy — especially when people’s livelihoods are at stake.
