Obi urges Lagos to show compassion in trade fair demolition exercise
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has appealed to the Lagos State Government to exercise compassion in its ongoing demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex, warning that strict adherence to legality must not override moral responsibility.
In a statement on Tuesday via his X handle, Obi said that while the government may be “legally correct,” it risks being “morally wrong” if enforcement measures inflict undue hardship on citizens.
Obi’s comments followed his recent visit to the site of the demolished ASPAMDA Market, where he described the razing of traders’ shops as a test of the state’s commitment to justice and human dignity.
He faulted the demolitions as a form of punishment disproportionate to the alleged offences, saying, “It is like punishing a man who stole a bicycle with death instead of imprisonment. That is what these demolitions represent — a punishment that far outweighs any alleged infraction.”
Reacting earlier, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, defended the demolitions, insisting that affected traders had been given several opportunities to regularise their papers during a government-declared amnesty period last year.
Obi, however, maintained that government actions must reflect empathy and balance. “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,” he said.
He urged authorities to explore less destructive remedies, stressing that governance should prioritise human welfare alongside the enforcement of the law.
“These demolitions are a test of our collective humanity and compassion,” Obi added. “Power must always be exercised with empathy — for it is in how we treat the vulnerable that the true character of leadership is revealed.”
