The ongoing detention of Alabi Quadri, a teenager who gained public attention after boldly standing in front of the convoy of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has sparked widespread concern and condemnation.
According to prominent Human Rights lawyer, Barrister Inibehe Effiong, Alabi, who is under 18 years of age, has already appeared in court three times and remains remanded at the Minimum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos.
In a statement issued after attending the court proceedings at the Apapa Magisterial District on April 9, 2025, Effiong expressed dismay over the circumstances that led to Alabi’s arrest.
“He was abducted by ‘area boys’ close to his home while returning from work,” Effiong revealed. “The same area boys who had been threatening him for not sharing the money he was allegedly gifted dragged him to the Amukoko Police Station, where he was detained.”
Following his unexpected moment of fame during the electioneering campaign, Alabi reportedly faced persistent harassment from local thugs who demanded a share of the alleged financial gifts he received. According to Alabi and his mother, these threats soon escalated into physical assaults and, eventually, his arrest.
“The area boys initially claimed that Alabi was involved in street fights,” Effiong continued. “Shockingly, the police later charged him, along with four strangers, with conspiracy and armed robbery using cutlasses.”
The police charge sheet alleges that the accused robbed two victims of money and four mobile phones, all valued at N579,000.
“After spending several hours at the court, I visited Alabi at the custodial centre, accompanied by a colleague, Alabi’s mother, relatives, and a social activist who brought the case to public attention,” Effiong noted.
Effiong stressed that Alabi is a minor and described him as “another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”
“The court remanded him along with four adult strangers, pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP),” Effiong said. “We are committed to exhausting all legal avenues to secure his release.”
The case has stirred public interest and raised questions about the vulnerability of Nigerian youth and the abuse of law enforcement procedures. Effiong assured the public that further updates would be provided as new developments emerge.