Alabi Quadri: 7 Things Lawyer Said After Visiting Prison to See Boy Who Stood Before Peter Obi's Car
- Iniebehe Effiong, the human rights lawyer who visited Alabi Quadri in Kirikiri prison, has volunteered information about him
- The lawyer enlightened the public about the boy's plight after he was allegedly taken to the police station by 'Area Boys'
- Iniebehe, who said the boy is a minor, insisted that he would do everything to have him released to his family legally
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Nigerians have continued to react to the news that Alabi Quadri has been locked up in prison in Kirikiri, Lagos.
Quadri went viral in 2023 after an iconic photo of him welcoming Peter Obi to Lagos captured public attention.
Source: Twitter
After hearing about the case, human rights lawyer Iniebehe Effiong took a trip to the Kirikiri prison to ascertain what happened.
Upon his return, lawyer Iniebehe released a post on X, sharing his findings with the general public.
Legit.ng summarises the major things Iniehe found out about the imprisonment of Quadri.
1. Quadri has been in detention since January 2025
One of the things Iniebehe discovered was that the young boy had been in detention since January 2025.
He said he visited the Kirikiri prison with Quadri's mother and other family members.
His words:
"After spending several hours at the court, I was accompanied by a colleague from our law firm, Alabi’s mother and other family members and relatives to visit Alabi at the custodial centre. Also in attendance was the social activist who brought the case to public attention. Given the interest expressed by members of the public, it is necessary to make this preliminary statement. We can confirm that Alabi has been in detention since January."
2. He was allegedly abducted by 'Area Boys'
According to the lawyer, Qaudri was allegedly abducted by 'Area Boys'.
The alleged abduction happened one day when he was coming home from work.
Iniebehe said:
"He was abducted by ‘Area Boys’ close to his home while returning from work."
3. Why 'Area Boys' allegedly abducted Quadri
Continuing the story, Iniebehe said Quadri incurred the wrath of the 'Area Boys' after they felt he did not settle them well when he went viral in 2023.
They allegedly threatened to deal with him for not 'properly settling them.
The lawyer said:
"According to Alabi and his mother, his painful walk to prison can be attributed to the prolonged malice nursed by some self-acclaimed area boys of his locality who felt entitled to a share of the unexpected fortune that came Alabi’s way when he halted and stood in front of the convoy of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. @PeterObi during the last electioneering campaign. Since he failed to properly “settle” some people, it has been one attack to another."
4. 'Area Boys' allegedly dragged him to police station
Another thing Iniebehe said he discovered was that the same 'Area Boys' who allegedly abducted him also took him to a police station.
He was said to have been detained at the Amukoko Police Station (Pako Police Station) on initial allegations of street fighting.
The lawyer stated:
"After abducting Alabi, the same area boys who have been threatening to deal with him for not sharing the money he was gifted dragged him to the Amukoko Police Station (Pako Police Station) where he was detained. The area boys initially claimed that Alabi was one of the young men who has been involved in street fights."
5. Quadri charged to court on allegations of armed robbery
Lawyer Iniebehe said he was shocked that Quadri was charged by the police on allegations of armed robbery.
He was dragged before a magistrate court on charges bordering on armed robbery with the use of a cutlass.
Allegedly, the victims were said to have lost four phones and physical cash, all amounting to N579,000.
Iniebehe said:
"However, it came as a rude shock when the Police took him before a Magistrate along with four other individuals who are complete strangers to him, alleging that he conspired with them to commit “Armed Robbery” with cutlasses. The Police in the charge sheet alleged that the alleged two victims were robbed of money and four mobile phones. The value of both the physical cash and four phones is N579,000 only."
6. Quadri is a minor
According to lawyer Iniebehe, he was able to establish that Quadri is still a minor as he is less than 18 years of age.
He alleged that the boy was a victim of Nigeria's criminal justice system.
Source: Twitter
His words:
"I spent about two hours interviewing Alabi about the veracity of the charges brought by the police. Speaking objectively, we all left Kirikiri with a strong conviction that this gentleman is just another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system. The last point that we want to state on the record is that Alabi is a Minor. He is less than 18 years."
7. The case is awaiting legal advice from Lagos DPP
Inibehe said that at the moment, the case is awaiting advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
He said the boy had appeared before a magistrate three times. He noted:
"Currently, Alabi has appeared before the Magistrate on three occasions. The court remanded him along with the four strange individuals who are all adults at the custodial centre pending Legal Advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). We shall provide additional information and the available legal options subsequently. Suffice it to say that we will do all that is legally permissible to secure Alabi’s freedom."
Photo of Quadri welcoming Peter Obi trends
Legit.ng had earlier reported that when the campaign train of Peter Obi arrived in Lagos on Saturday, February 11, a boy was captured welcoming him.
The boy named Yusuf Alabi was captured with his arms wide open and standing in front of Obi's convoy.
24 hours after the photo went viral, someone allegedly minted and put it up for sale on OpenSea, where it was listed for N349,000.
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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
Israel Usulor (Human-Interest editor) Israel Usulor is a journalist who has 10 years of experience. He worked at The Prime Newspaper and has published articles in TheCable Newspaper. Israel graduated with distinction from Fidei Polytechnic (Mass Commun, 2016). Israel has interviewed Zannah Mustapha, the man who helped negotiate the release of Chibok Girls, and Kunle Adeyanju, who rode a bike from London to Lagos. He covered exclusive stories on Chef Dami during her Guinness World Records cookathon. Email: israel.usulor@corp.legit.ng.
Nkem Ikeke (Copy editor) Nkem Ikeke is currently a copy editor who also writes for the politics and current affairs desk on weekends. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2010), and has over 10 years of work experience in the media industry (Reporter, News Agency of Nigeria). Email: n.ikeke@corp.legit.ng
