After nearly three months behind bars, 17-year-old Quadri Yusuf Alabi, who captured national attention during the 2023 presidential election by boldly standing in front of the convoy of Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has been released from detention. The young man, who had been held at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos since January, was discharged on Thursday, April 17, 2025, by a Magistrate Court sitting in Apapa.
The court’s decision followed legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, which concluded that there was no credible evidence to support the charge of armed robbery leveled against the teenager. In line with the DPP’s recommendation, the presiding Magistrate, Her Honour A.O. Olorunfemi, ordered Alabi’s immediate release, marking an end to what his legal counsel described as an unjust incarceration.
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who represented Alabi, announced the court’s decision via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Effiong described the teenager’s ordeal as a deliberate and malicious setup, allegedly orchestrated by local thugs known in the Amukoko area of Lagos as “Lege” and “Baba Waris.” According to the lawyer, Alabi was abducted near his residence, falsely accused of involvement in a street fight, and handed over to police authorities by these individuals.
Effiong further disclosed that Alabi had been facing threats and intimidation from the same individuals since 2023, when he received donations from members of the public who were moved by his symbolic gesture during Obi’s campaign. The donations, it was alleged, became a source of envy and conflict in his local community. The family of the teenager reportedly faced pressure from community figures to purchase a cow and host a celebration to appease local interests.
In a detailed statement, Effiong expressed outrage over the police’s handling of the case, revealing that the boy was arraigned on January 26, 2025, alongside four adult strangers with whom he had no association. Despite being a minor, the police allegedly recorded his age as 18, further complicating his legal status and contributing to his prolonged remand in custody.
The matter only gained public traction earlier in April after it was brought to light by Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of the Ray of Hope Prison Outreach. The advocacy group’s intervention helped draw attention to the injustice, ultimately accelerating the legal review that led to Alabi’s discharge.
Commending the DPP for upholding the truth, Effiong has now called for disciplinary measures against the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Amukoko Police Station, the Investigating Police Officer, and others implicated in the unlawful arrest and detention. He is also demanding a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force as well as N100 million in compensation for the emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the teenager.
“This case is a tragic reflection of the deep-seated corruption, unchecked impunity, and systemic injustice that plague law enforcement in Nigeria,” Effiong stated.
The release of Quadri Yusuf Alabi has sparked a renewed conversation on police accountability, the treatment of minors in conflict with the law, and the need for urgent reforms within Nigeria’s justice system.
