Quadri Alabi, the 17-year-old boy who gained national attention during the 2023 presidential campaign for standing in front of Labour Party candidate Peter Obi’s convoy, has been released from detention after spending nearly three months at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos.
Alabi was discharged on Thursday by a Magistrate Court in Apapa, following legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which found no evidence to support the charge of armed robbery brought against him.
His lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, announced the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We are excited to announce that Quadri Yusuf Alabi… has been freed by the court today, 17th April, 2025.”
According to Effiong, Alabi’s arrest was the result of a “diabolical frame-up” allegedly orchestrated by local enforcers in the Amukoko area known as Lege and Baba Waris. The two men reportedly abducted the teenager near his home and handed him over to the police, accusing him of participating in a street fight. Alabi, who had faced threats since 2023 over donations he received from supporters of Obi, was subsequently charged with armed robbery and arraigned on January 26.
Effiong alleged that the boy was falsely recorded as 18 years old and remanded alongside four adults he had no known ties to. He also claimed that Alabi’s family had been pressured by local leaders to buy a cow and organize a feast to appease the community.
At Thursday’s hearing, the presiding Magistrate, His Honour A.O. Olorunfemi (Mrs.), confirmed that the DPP, Dr. Babajide Martins, recommended that Alabi should not be prosecuted due to a lack of evidence. Consequently, the court discharged him, and he was released.
Effiong praised the DPP’s office for “standing by the truth” and called for disciplinary action against the Divisional Police Officer of the Amukoko Police Station, the Investigating Police Officer, and other officials involved in the case. He also demanded a public apology and a compensation of N100 million for the wrongful arrest and detention.
“Quadri’s case is a painful example of the putrefying corruption, monstrous impunity, and pervasive injustice in the Nigeria Police Force,” Effiong said.
The case gained renewed public interest earlier this month after it was brought to light by Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of the Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, further intensifying calls for police reform and accountability.
