A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, urged the Lagos State government to temper enforcement with mercy in the demolition of structures, stating that being “legally correct” is not a substitute for being morally right.
The comments came a week 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.
However, reacting in a statement on Wednesday 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.”
He 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.
But 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.
The former governor 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?”
Drawing parallels on the effect of the demolition, Obi said, “It is like punishing a man who stole a bicycle with death instead of imprisonment – a sentence grossly disproportionate to the offence. That is what these demolitions represent: a punishment that far outweighs any alleged infraction.”
He called on government to pursue a balance between law and compassion.
“My appeal is simple: governance must always balance law with compassion. A government should not pride itself on being legally correct if, in the process, it becomes morally wrong. Justice, to be just, must be tempered with mercy.
“These demolitions are a test of our collective humanity, justice, and compassion. Power must always be exercised with empathy – for it is in how we treat the vulnerable that the true character of leadership is revealed,” he added.
