Friday, April 18, 2025 - The Magistrate Court in Apapa has freed the 17-year-old minor, Alabi Quadri, who went viral ahead of the 2023 general elections for standing in front of the convoy of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Quadri was wrongfully detained for months on a trumped-up
charge of armed robbery. He was discharged on Wednesday, April 16, by the
Magistrate court after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Lagos
State Ministry of Justice found no evidence to support the allegations against
him.
The teenager had been remanded at the Medium Security
Custodial Centre in Kirikiri since January 26, 2025, following what his legal
team described as a “diabolical frame-up” by the police at Amukoko Divisional
Headquarters.
According to his lead counsel, human rights lawyer Inibehe
Effiong, Esq., Quadri was abducted by two known area boys in his community —
identified as Lege and Baba Waris, who had previously harassed him over
donations he received during the 2023 election season.
“Quadri was returning from work when he was grabbed by these
individuals, who have repeatedly threatened him for not sharing financial gifts
he received. His family was even pressured by the Baale (community leader) to
appease the area boys with a cow, rice, and a feast.”
Initially accused of involvement in a street fight, Quadri’s
case took a darker turn when the police charged him with armed robbery and
presented him before a magistrate. Shockingly, he was grouped with four adult
suspects with no known ties to him. The police also falsely listed his age as
18 to avoid the scrutiny that comes with juvenile cases.
Effiong’s team became involved in the case last week after
the matter was brought to public attention by Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of
Ray of Hope Prison Outreach. Following swift legal interventions, the court
reviewed the DPP’s legal advice, which recommended that Quadri not be
prosecuted due to lack of evidence.
Presiding Magistrate A. O. Olorunfemi (Mrs.) accordingly
discharged Quadri, bringing a bitter chapter to an end for the teenager.
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