LAGOS – Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the 17-year-old who rose to prominence during the 2023 presidential campaign for bravely standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy, has regained his freedom after being wrongfully detained for months at the Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre in Lagos.
Alabi was discharged on Wednesday, 17 April 2025, following a court ruling which affirmed there was no evidence linking him to the charge of armed robbery levelled against him by the Lagos State Police Command.
According to his legal team, led by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, the teenager was abducted near his family home in the Amukoko area of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government by two notorious area boys known as “Lege” and “Baba Waris.” The duo reportedly harboured resentment towards Alabi, claiming he failed to share donations received after his viral encounter with Obi during the 2023 election period.
Alabi’s family further alleged that local community leaders, including the Baale, pressured them to buy a cow and host a feast to appease the area boys, who had continued to harass him.
Initially, Alabi was falsely accused of street fighting by his abductors at the Amukoko Divisional Police Headquarters. However, the case took a drastic turn on 26 January 2025, when police arraigned him before a Magistrate’s Court in Apapa on a trumped-up charge of armed robbery. The police also allegedly misrepresented his age as 18 to facilitate the remand order.
In a shocking development, the teenager was grouped with four adult suspects he had no prior connection with and sent to Kirikiri prison, where he remained until his release on Wednesday.
The case drew public attention after Ms Hassana Nurudeen, Co-founder of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, raised the alarm on social media. Alabi’s mother subsequently engaged Effiong, who took swift legal action to challenge the detention.
At the court sitting, presiding Magistrate A.O. Olorunfemi (Mrs) cited a legal advice issued by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, which stated that there was no evidence to support the allegations against Alabi. The court, acting on the DPP’s recommendation, ordered his immediate discharge.
Effiong commended the DPP for upholding justice but demanded urgent disciplinary action against the Divisional Police Officer of Amukoko Division and the Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Odigbe Samuel. He also called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General of Police to initiate an orderly room trial and hold all involved officers accountable.
Additionally, Effiong is demanding a compensation of N100 million and a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force, warning that legal action would be taken if the demands are not met.
“This case is a painful example of the putrefying corruption, monstrous impunity, and pervasive injustice in the Nigeria Police Force,” Effiong stated, adding that many young Nigerians like Alabi remain victims of systemic abuse and wrongful detention.
Quadri Alabi’s ordeal underscores the urgent need for police reform and judicial accountability in Nigeria.