Lagos’ market demolition excessive to any alleged infraction– Peter Obi
By Seyifunmi Abdulazeez
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has criticised the recent demolition of shops at Lagos’s Aspamda Market, describing the exercise as “a punishment far exceeding any alleged infraction” and urging authorities to show compassion towards displaced traders.
Obi made the remarks on social media after visiting the demolished section of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex in Ojo.
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The demolitions, carried out on 25 September, affected more than 19 plazas and destroyed goods worth billions of naira, according to traders.
“This demolition is not just about structures; it’s about people’s livelihoods,” Obi wrote. “Governance must balance law with compassion. A government should not pride itself on being legally correct if, in the process, it becomes morally wrong.”
Lagos State officials said the exercise targeted illegal structures built without proper permits and encroaching on drainage channels, warning that such developments contributed to flooding.
Obi, who visited the site alongside Labour Party figures including Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Victor Umeh, called the demolition an act of economic injustice.
“To destroy legitimate investments without due process is unjust and destructive,” he said, pledging to press for a parliamentary inquiry.
The Lagos State government, however, accused Obi of politicising the issue.
Information Commissioner Gbenga Omotoso said the former Anambra governor was “spreading misinformation” and noted that relocation options had been offered to traders. “No government takes pleasure in demolitions, but rules must be followed,” he said.
