Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Lagos State government to exercise compassion and mercy in its ongoing demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex, stating that strict adherence to the law without regard for human welfare undermines justice.
Obi, who recently visited the site of the demolished ASPAMDA Market, criticized the razing of plazas, describing the action as a “test of impunity, justice and compassion” for the state government.
In a statement released Tuesday, Obi warned that governance must strike a balance between law enforcement and empathy, particularly when livelihoods are at stake.
Law and Moral Rightness
The former Anambra governor contended that resorting to demolition was a disproportionate punishment that destroyed billions of naira worth of investments, even if legal infractions occurred.
“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,” Obi wrote.
He pressed the government to consider less destructive alternatives, asking: “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?”
Obi compared the demolition to an extreme penalty, stating, “It is like punishing a man who stole a bicycle with death instead of imprisonment – a sentence grossly disproportionate to the offence.”
He concluded by stressing that justice must always be moderated by mercy.
“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.”
Lagos Government Response
The Lagos State government, through its Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, has since countered Obi’s claims, insisting that the structures were illegal, lacked valid state approvals, and that the owners ignored repeated opportunities for regularization before the enforcement action.
