By Abiola Olawale
The Lagos State Government has launched a formal investigation into the demolition of a property owned by the younger brother of the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in Ikeja, Lagos State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, denied the government’s involvement and described Obi’s claims as “unverified and baseless.”
The statement reads in part: “The Lagos State Government is compelled to address the recent allegations made by Mr. Peter Obi regarding the demolition of a property belonging to his brother.
“We wish to categorically state that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) or any other arm of the Lagos State Government did not carry out the said demolition.”
According to Omotoso, Dr. Olajide Abiodun Babatunde, Special Adviser on eGIS & Urban Development, who oversees LASBCA, also confirmed that the agency was not involved in the demolition.
He expressed concern that such claims were made without proper fact-checking, especially at a sensitive political time, ahead of local government elections.
The demolition, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, sparked immediate controversy after Obi took to social media to condemn the action, stating that his brother’s property, owned by a registered company and standing for over 15 years, was razed without prior notice, court order, or valid demolition permit.
