Quadri Alabi: Lawyer Demands Apology, N100m Compensation from Police after Boy is Freed
- Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has demanded ₦100 million and a public apology from the Nigeria Police for the unlawful detention of 17-year-old Quadri Yusuf Alabi
- Quadri, who became famous during the 2023 elections for standing before Peter Obi’s convoy, was falsely accused of armed robbery and jailed for nearly three months
- A Lagos magistrate discharged him after the DPP found no evidence, prompting calls for police reform and accountability over the abuse of minors
A Nigerian lawyer is demanding N100 million in compensation and a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force after a teenage boy, widely recognised for his viral appearance during the 2023 general elections, was allegedly wrongfully detained on trumped-up robbery charges.
Seventeen-year-old Quadri Yusuf Alabi was discharged by a magistrate court in Lagos on Thursday, following nearly three months of detention at the Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Source: Twitter
Legal authorities determined there was no evidence linking him to any crime.
Boy target of organised gangs - Effiong
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who led Alabi’s defence, alleged that the teenager was the target of local gangs in Amukoko, Lagos, who had been extorting him since his sudden rise to prominence.
Alabi had appeared in a viral video standing before the convoy of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the last elections—a move that won him public admiration and donations.
Effiong claimed that two gang members, known as Lege and Baba Waris, abducted Alabi earlier this year and dragged him to a police station, where officers colluded with the pair to frame the teenager for robbery.
“The Area Boys had been threatening him since 2023 for not ‘sharing’ donations he received during the election period,” Effiong said in an X post.
“The family was even pressured by the community’s Baale to buy a cow and rice to appease these hoodlums.”
Source: Twitter
Authorities allegedly mishandled Quadri's case
What began as a case of alleged street fighting quickly escalated, Effiong said, when the Divisional Police Headquarters in Amukoko charged Alabi with armed robbery.
He was then misrepresented as an adult in official records and remanded alongside unrelated adults.
Civil rights campaigner Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, was credited with drawing attention to the case, prompting a swift legal response from Effiong’s team.
On Thursday, Magistrate A.O. Olorunfemi ruled in favour of Alabi’s release, citing advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, which stated that there was no credible evidence to support the charges.
Effiong is calling for disciplinary proceedings against officers involved in the case, including the Divisional Police Officer of Amukoko and one Inspector Odigbe Samuel.
“If our demands are not met, we will not hesitate to seek redress in court,” Effiong warned.
The case has intensified calls for accountability within the police, particularly concerning minors and the ease with which innocent individuals can be swept into the justice system through collusion and corruption.
Boy who stood in front of Peter Obi's convoy regains freedom
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian boy who went viral for standing before Peter Obi's convoy in Lagos has finally regained his freedom.
The boy, Alabi Quadri, was released from prison today, Thursday, April 17, according to his lawyer, Iniebehe Effiong.
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Source: Legit.ng
