Court frees viral boy who stood before Peter Obi’s convoy after nearly three months in detention

Abdullateef Fowewe

Quadri Alabi, the 17-year-old who made headlines for bravely standing in front of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s convoy during the 2023 election campaign, has been released from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos after spending almost three months in detention.

The Magistrate Court in Apapa made the decision to discharge Alabi on Thursday, based on advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that there was no evidence to support the armed robbery charge against him.

Alabi’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, shared the news of his release on social media on Thursday, claiming that his arrest and detention were part of a malicious set-up orchestrated by local thugs named Lege and Baba Waris in the Amukoko area of Lagos.

Effiong elucidated that Alabi was abducted near his home and handed over to the police under false claims of participating in a street fight.

He also revealed that the teenager had faced repeated threats since 2023 due to donations he received from Peter Obi’s supporters.

The family, according to to the lawyer, was even pressured by community leaders to provide a cow and host a feast to “appease” the area.

At the hearing, Magistrate A.O. Olorunfemi confirmed that the DPP, Dr. Babajide Martins, advised against prosecution, citing a lack of evidence to substantiate the armed robbery allegations.

Effiong expressed gratitude to the DPP for “standing by the truth,” and criticised the police for what he described as an unjust ordeal.

He also revealed that Alabi, who was arraigned on January 26, had his age falsely recorded as 18 and was detained alongside four adult strangers he did not know.

The case had drawn public attention earlier in April after being highlighted by Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of the Ray of Hope Prison Outreach.

However, following the ruling, Effiong urged disciplinary action against the Divisional Police Officer of Amukoko Police Station and others involved, demanding N100 million compensation and a public apology from the police.

“Quadri’s case is a painful example of the putrefying corruption, monstrous impunity, and pervasive injustice in the Nigeria Police Force,” Effiong had written.